On Monday morning, August 10, at 3:00 am, a fireball on the roof of a Bronx apartment complex at 1700 Crotona Park caused heavy flames on the two top floors in the back corner of the building.
More than 100 firefighters responded to the fire.
Residents were jolted out of their sleep as firefighters tried to figure out where the smoke was coming from.
According to fire officials, the blaze traveled through a small void space called a cockloft, which is a gap above the ceiling in the building.
“The fire was primarily in that area, so it required the members to pull the ceilings. There were two ceilings, made of heavy plaster and wire, which required a lot of work. That’s why we needed the extra companies to get those ceilings down and extinguish them,” said FDNY Battalion Chief Christopher Coppola.
This is not the first time this has happened, according to residents.
The battalion chief said there is smoke and water damage. The cause of the fire remains under investigation, and the Red Cross is assisting displaced residents. A sign on the front door stated that the building is currently under a partial vacate order.
