Good Samaritan jumps into help before FDNY arrives at 2-alarm fire in Allerton
Officials said it took about 50 minutes to get the flames under control.
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Officials said a 57-year-old man is in critical condition after a two-alarm fire in Allerton.
The FDNY said the victim was taken to a local hospital after he was found unconscious inside of an apartment on the top floor of the six-story building.
“He was badly burned, but he was alive because he was raising his hand,” said Patrick Onwuachi, a witness who also jumped in to help other tenants.
Onwuachi told News 12 he was walking by the building, located on Bronx Park East near Waring Avenue, before the FDNY arrived on scene.
“There was very little time to act, so we screamed from this side of the building to find out if anyone was up there, screaming, 'Fire! Come out, come out!,'” said Onwuachi.
It happened just after 1 p.m. on Friday.
“Rang all the intercoms, especially for the sixth and the fifth floors,” Onwuachi said. “Then [I] kicked in the front door so that we could go up and knock on the doors and evacuate the people.”
Officials said it took about 50 minutes to get the flames under control.
The Office of Emergency Management said vacate orders were issued to six apartments.
“Luckily, [the fire] didn’t extend to the roof itself,” said FDNY Deputy Chief James Sangiamo. “We confined it to the fire apartment. It didn’t get into the roof space.”
The FDNY said a second person and a firefighter also suffered minor injuries, but they are expected to be OK.
The Red Cross told News 12 it is helping five households, including eight adults and four children.
