Dyker Heights residents call for building to be demolished after 6th fire

Officials say it's the sixth fire that's happened there in the past two years.

Julia Burns

Feb 23, 2025, 3:44 AM

Updated 3 hr ago

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Dyker Heights residents are calling for a building to be demolished after a sixth fire at the location.
News 12 previously reported a fire on 67th Street Tuesday that killed a 40-year-old woman.
The FDNY says that woman is believed to be a squatter.
Neighbors tell News 12 while they're sad to hear she died, they aren't surprised.
Officials say it's the sixth fire that's happened there in the past two years.
Since the fire, a vacate order has been issued and the FDNY has ordered an inspection of the building.
A construction fence has since been put up to prevent anyone from getting in and construction crews tell News 12 they're boarding it up.
Residents like Jay Zhuz, however, tell News 12 he wants to see the building gone for good.
"Hopefully it would be demolished. I would feel much more safe with that. I’ve been here for more than 20 years. I was shocked. The neighborhood was very quiet. Beautiful neighborhood. Now it's beginning to be destroyed because of that property," Zhuz said.
Zhuz tells News 12 squatters are nothing new for the area. News 12 previously reported a squatter damaging a resident's security camera on that street. The FDNY tells News 12 the cause of the fire remains under investigation as of Saturday night. RELATED: Councilmember Zhuang to propose bill to track squatters in NYC