Fire on the 20th Floor – A Parent’s Worst Nightmare

Firefighters fought a four-alarm blaze at my daughter’s building in midtown Manhattan. The blaze, caused by an e-bike’s lithium-ion battery, engulfed the 20th floor. Nearly 40 people were injured, and 7 were critically harmed. The water and smoke damage displaced numerous families. Some ceilings collapsed, and toxic fumes filled the building. Elderly tenants could not climb 34 flights of stairs to check on their homes or pets.

Because my daughter’s previous building had increased their rent by 30%, she had to move immediately. But neither of us thought to check the following–

A Parent’s Checklist

  1. Functioning fire alarms: Does the apartment have fire alarms? Do they work? Have you checked?
  2. Proper signage for fire evacuation: Are fire exits marked? Is the signage working?
  3. Clutter in the hallways or stairwells: No furniture, trashcans, bikes, or wheelchairs should ever be in the stairwells or hallways. They are a fire hazard and can impede firefighters from entering an apartment.
  4. Firedoors left open: No fire door should ever be propped open in a fireproof building, allowing a blaze to rip through a floor.
  5. No E-bikes – EVER: About 200 fires in New York City this year have been caused by lithium-ion batteries, resulting in six deaths. So if you see them, question management. They shouldn’t be allowed in the building, let alone an apartment.
  6. Check for NYC building violations: Using tools like the Building Information System (BIS) and the DOB NOW Public Portal, you can review the history of any building in New York City. You can find violations, permits, and complaints that were reported. The building history also shows the current status of the information as active or resolved. This will help your children (and you) make better decisions.

After checking all these issues, make sure your child has the following:

  1. Solid renter’s insurance. My daughter must have every piece of clothing cleaned, pantry items thrown out, and furniture replaced. A reputable insurance company will have a roster of vendors who deal with smoke, water, and mold damage. But if you don’t have insurance, you will lose everything.
  2. An emergency fund for 3 months of expenses.  Many young adults believe nothing will happen to them and live paycheck to paycheck. They don’t believe they need an emergency fund or renter’s insurance. But they do. We all do.

I am grateful that no one was killed in this fire and my daughter wasn’t hurt. But it confirmed that you can never be too careful when checking a building.