17 Dead After Space Heater Sparks New York City’s Worst Fire Disaster in 30+ Years. Make sure your property has required Fire Safety Notices and Close The Door Signs!
Fires occur suddenly in any type of building but are especially dangerous and often deadly in residential high-rise apartment buildings where tenants don’t know what to do when a fire breaks out.
An electric space heater is the cause for a horrific high-rise apartment fire that killed at least 17people, including eight children at the Parks North West, 333 East 181st St. in the Tremont section of the Bronx.
The fire originated in a duplex on the second and third floors of the building but never extended past the unit and the hallway nearest the apartment, FDNY commissioner Dan Nigro revealed. Smoke generated from the duplex blaze was able to spread throughout the 19-story structure due to an open door.
There is a Local Law requirement § 27-2041.1 for self-closing doors which requires owners of a multiple dwelling property to equip all apartment and stairs with self-closing doors. Too often deaths in New York City have occurred due to the failure of the self-closing door mechanism.
“The door to that apartment unfortunately when the residents left was left open, it did not close by itself. The smoke spread throughout the building, thus the tremendous loss of life,” Nigro said at an evening press briefing.
Take note: If you are escaping a fire in your home or apartment you must close the door to reduce the spread of fire. Leaving a door open allows the fire to grow rapidly and spread throughout the building, harming or even killing other building occupants and responding firefighters.
Building owners/managers, the FDNY now requires buildings install “CLOSE THE DOOR” signs as a reminder on the public hallway side of stairwell doors. The mandated sign must read: “In a Fire, Close All Doors Behind You! Keep Fire and Smoke Out of Building Hallways and Stairs. Keep Apartment and Stairwell Doors Closed at All Other Times. Protect Your Neighbors and Your Home!”
“CLOSE THE DOOR” signs provide a clear, visible reminder to building residents of the importance of closing each door as one exits one’s apartment and building during a fire. Closing these doors serves to contain the fire and smoke within the apartment, assist in firefighting operations and prevent smoke from entering the stairwells through which building residents may need to evacuate.
Also, critically important are “Fire Safety Notices” which are also required by law to protect lives. The purpose of the fire and emergency preparedness notice serves to inform building residents and building staff about evacuation procedures and to provide other guidance in the event of a fire or non-fire emergency in the building or occupancy. The required FDNY “Fire Safety Notices” are signs required to be mounted on the inside of every dwelling unit door of each dwelling unit in the building and in a conspicuous location near any common mailbox area customarily used by building occupants, or if there is no common mailbox area, in a conspicuous location in or near the elevators or main stairwell.
Make sure your property checks on the self-closing mechanism for every apartment and stair door and has the required “CLOSE THE DOOR” and Fire Safety Notice signs. These essential safety measures can save lives!
Hyline Safety Co. offers the assorted signs and consulting services needed to comply with these important local law requirements. Please reach out if you need our assistance.
Evan Lipstein is the president and owner of Hyline Safety Co., Manhattan, N.Y.
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