Four people, including one elderly person, are in critical condition because of a fire that broke in Washington Heights Sunday afternoon.
Fire officials say the blaze broke out on the fourth floor of a building on West 190th Street just before 1 p.m.
According to the FDNY, all four victims were rushed to a hospital in critical condition after experiencing cardiac arrest and being resuscitated at the scene.
What You Need To Know
- NYPD confirms an “elderly” victim was among the four people rushed in critical condition after a fire broke out on West 190th Street Sunday afternoon
- Fire officials say an e-bike was present in the apartment where the fire originated but the cause is still under investigation
- Fire officials say all four victims suffered cardiac arrest and had to be resuscitated
Authorities have not confirmed the identity of the four victims, but the NYPD has confirmed to NY1 that one of the victims was “elderly.”
Marina Rivera, who has lived in the building for 38 years, told NY1 in Spanish that she feared for the safety of a beloved senior, who many neighbors call “Mamita.”
Ramirez said “Mamita” lived with her grandson and a home attendant in a fourth-floor apartment, where the fire occurred.
She also mentioned that “Mamita” turned 98 years old this past November.
While the cause of the fire is still being investigated, FDNY Deputy Assistant Chief Brian Gorman revealed that like so many similar fires been taking place across the city,
According to Gorman, a lithium-ion battery was present in the apartment where the fire originated.
“There was an e-bike in the apartment,” said Gorman. “The fire marshals will determine whether it was cause involved or just there. We don’t know at this time, but there was an e-bike.”
If an e-bike is the cause of the fire, it would be added to the more than 60 investigations, 56 injuries and five deaths that the FDNY says have taken place this year, through April 24, due to fires caused by lithium-ion batteries.