Devastated residents left destitute after a five-alarm fire destroyed Manhattan apartment building: ‘I lost everything’

Devastated residents were left destitute after a five-alarm fire ripped through a Manhattan apartment building leaving more than 40 tenants displaced.

Residents and nearby business owners are now struggling to cope after the six-story building in Hamilton Heights burst into flames Friday afternoon – leaving them deprived of their homes and personal belongings, questioning how they’ll ever recover.

“I lost everything, most importantly my medications. I’m glad I did not die from the fire but one or two days without my medication, I hope I don’t die from that,” said Theresa Yiu, 70, a 45-year resident who shares her three-bedroom with family and her asthmatic husband. 

Damage seen at one of the stores on the ground floor of the building. Tomas E. Gaston

Yiu, who is diabetic and without her insulin, said this is the second time the building has caught fire. She now fears she’ll become homeless after her family leaves the hotel they were temporarily put up in following the fire.

“I’m 70-years-old. I just want to live in peace, not this stress,” she said. 

Theresa Yiu, 70, is worried about a safe place to stay and her medications that were lost in the blaze. Georgett Roberts/NY Post
Firefighters doused the six-story apartment building that went up in flames Friday. Christopher Sadowski

More than 200 firefighters responded to the massive blaze on West 145th Street between Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue just after 2:40 p.m. that left five civilians and four firefighters injured, one of whom was critically injured in a 40-foot fall from a fifth-story window while battling the fire.

The first responder, who tumbled down a shaft behind the building, is expected to survive, according to the FDNY.

Heavy wind contributed to the blaze moving up the apartment building and spreading all the way up to the sixth floor. Georgett Roberts/NY Post

About 10 apartments were impacted as heavy winds blowing out of the front windows fueled the blaze as flames spread all the way up to the sixth floor, according to the FDNY.

Officials said they don’t yet know what caused the fire, as residents suspect a lithium battery ignited the flames.

A building staffer said “95% of the fires we go to, that’s what’s causing them,” adding that management needs to “ban” them. 

The FDNY responded to the fire with over 200 firefighters including rescue medics who came to the aid of their fallen brother. Georgett Roberts/NY Post

The owner of Assana Hair Braiding and Beauty Salon, which resides in an adjoining building, was treating customers when her business quickly ignited and was severely damaged in the blaze. She opened her salon nine months ago. 

Nearby businesses were also destroyed in the fire. Tomas E. Gaston

“How can I rebuild? I can’t. I lost all my investment – everything, everything. Everything is damaged,” she said. 

“I’m just hurting. I don’t know what I’m going to do,”

The Boys and Girls Club of Harlem is currently providing clothes to displaced families and requesting donations from the community to provide additional support.

Tenants were advised to not go back into the building following the fire. Tomas E. Gaston

“These are our neighbors so we are here to support them in any way that we can,” Executive Director Sharon Joseph said. 

“We’re accepting donations and we will be giving the families clothes to keep them warm and we are desperate for people who want to make donations to the families but as a member of this community, we are here, these are our families, our kids and we want to do whatever we can to support them.”