A pre-war Upper East Side apartment building caught fire Monday afternoon, leaving the occupants of 20 units out in the cold, according to officials.
Nearly 150 firefighters rushed to the eight-story building at 160 East 91st Street around 12:20 p.m. after the blaze was sparked on the third floor and quickly spread to the roof of the co-op, according to FDNY.
About 20 of the 125 apartments in the building were affected by the inferno, the fire department said.
“This was a labor intensive fire for the fire department,” FDNY Assistant Chief John Sarrocco said at the scene.
“We stretched multiple hand lines into the building, and we had to expose fire on every one of those floors by pulling the ceilings and opening up the walls and extinguishing fire.”
The department said one firefighter suffered minor injuries. No building residents or staff were injured.
One resident who wasn’t home when the flames erupted said her apartment was destroyed in the blaze.
“I lost everything, I am kind of overwhelmed right now … I’m displaced and homeless,” the longtime building resident told The Post.
“The FDNY, insurance adjusters and remedial companies are onsite investigating the fire and pumping water and cleaning up the common areas so many of you can return safely,” stated a memo from the co-op board sent to its shareholders and obtained by The Post.
Twelve units suffered extensive fire damage while other apartments were damaged by water, according to the co-op board’s letter to residents.
The building that caught fire made headlines in 2023 as residents were in a years-long battle with the Redeemer Presbyterian Church East Side over concerns about the church’s plan to construct a 12-story edifice right up against the co-op building.
Co-op dwellers who live right next to the church argued at the time the three feet planned between their windows – and fire escapes – and the new church wouldn’t be enough space for them.
Residents claimed in a now-defunct website those living in the apartments abutting the church would have no light, ventilation or way to safely get out of the building through the fire escape in case of an emergency. They sought to have five more feet of space between the two buildings.
The church, which is now open, rejected that request, arguing it would lead to higher costs and ruin the church’s plans. It also dismissed any worries over fire-escape safety, noting the new building complies with fire code.
The fire appeared to break out on the side that neighbors the church, according to photos posted online by the fire department.
The church welcomed about a dozen displaced residents into their building for dinner and to meet with the Red Cross, a Redeemer staffer said in an email.
The Red Cross said its organization has registered five households that include six adults for emergency assistance, including temporary lodging and monetary assistance. Other affected residents were able to get help from friends or family.
The cause behind the inferno is under investigation.
Additional reporting by Amanda Woods
The post Fire at pre-war Upper East Side apartment building displaces over a dozen residents appeared first on New York Post.
