Man dead, two women hurt after fire rips through Morris Heights apartment building
A 51-year-old man was pronounced dead at the scene, according to NYPD.
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A fire that broke out in a Morris Heights apartment building early Saturday left a 51-year-old man dead and two women injured following what neighbors describe as a domestic dispute.
Police said officers initially responded to a 911 call for an assault around 1 a.m. at 226 W. Tremont Ave., between Phelan Place and Sedgwick Avenue. When officers arrived, they instead found a fire inside the building and alerted the FDNY.
According to the FDNY, the fire started on the top floor of the building shortly after 1 a.m. Flames spread to an adjoining apartment, prompting a second alarm at approximately 1:22 a.m. The fire was brought under control at 2:08 a.m.
A total of 46 units and 141 fire and EMS personnel responded to the scene.
Authorities said the 51-year-old man was pronounced dead at the scene. Two women, ages 60 and 66, were taken to a local hospital in stable condition and are expected to recover.
Neighbors who declined to be identified said the man was in a romantic relationship with one of the women and that police had been called to the apartment during a dispute before the fire. One neighbor alleged the woman had attempted to flee the apartment before the fire started.
Neighbors said the couple had appeared normal prior to the incident.
The New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner will determine the man’s cause of death. Fire marshals are investigating the cause of the fire.
No arrests have been made, and the investigation remains ongoing.
