A fashion writer for People magazine and her mother were among the three people killed in a fast-moving fire early Monday morning in the Inwood neighborhood of Manhattan, the publication confirmed.
The writer, Yolaine Díaz, 48, covered fashion and beauty for People en Español, the online Spanish-language arm of the magazine, until 2023, and continued to contribute regularly after that, according to a statement by Meredith Worsham, the chief communications officer for People. Her work was published as recently as April 26.
“We are incredibly sad to hear about the loss of Yolaine,” Ms. Worsham said.
Ms. Díaz’s mother, Ana Mirtha Lantigua, 73, was also killed, People en Español later reported. The mother and daughter were found dead after they tried to escape down a stairwell but encountered smoke, the publication said. Ms. Díaz’s stepfather survived, leaving the building via a fire escape.
Fire officials said the fire broke out after midnight and quickly engulfed the six-story apartment building at 207 Dyckman Street.
The two women and an unidentified third person were pronounced dead at the scene. The city medical examiner’s office said it was still investigating how they died.
Fourteen other people were injured, including a firefighter, officials said. Five were in critical condition on Monday, including a woman and her three children, ages 4, 8 and 18, according to the woman’s husband, Alexis Rodriguez, who was at work when the fire broke out.
The fire marshal has not determined a cause for the fire. Officials said that doors left open by fleeing residents helped it to spread. About 100 people were displaced.
In response to the deadly blaze, the Fire Department was conducting outreach in the neighborhood on Tuesday to raise awareness of the importance of closing doors during a fire.
The building had over 100 documented safety violations as of Monday, and had been put into a special city program to correct the issues. Some of the problems could be tied to fire safety, like faulty self-closing doors, which are designed to keep smoke and fire from spreading.
The city sued the building’s landlord, SB Dyckman LLC, last month over conditions in the building next door, at 209 Dyckman Street, which it also owns. In the suit, the Department of Housing Preservation and Development accused the landlord of waging an intentional and aggressive campaign to harass and displace rent-stabilized tenants. The complaint also mentioned that 209 Dyckman Street had 219 open code violations, including 58 that were deemed immediately hazardous.
Ms. Díaz and her mother are among 36 people who have died in fires across the city so far this year.
Ms. Díaz was born in the Dominican Republic and moved as a teenager to New York City, where she studied journalism at Lehman College, People en Español reported. She started at the publication as an intern and later interviewed prominent Latin artists, including Shakira, Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony.
Ms. Díaz frequently shared photos of her clothing, makeup and travel on Instagram, where she amassed more than 44,000 followers. She appeared, typically in flowing dresses, in places like Mexico City, Miami and Milan.
Pia Velasco, who worked with Ms. Díaz for five years starting in 2013, said she stood out, with a colorful personality that matched her wardrobe and the confidence to be herself in a world shaped by trends. Ms. Díaz adored her mother, who often accompanied her on trips, Ms. Velasco said.
“It was very, very refreshing to be around someone who knew exactly who she was and exactly what she wanted, and would go after it with all the excitement in the world,” she said. “She was a wonderful person. The world’s a little bit more gray without her in it.”
In a Facebook post, Kika Rocha, the director of fashion and beauty at People en Español, said Ms. Díaz started as her assistant in the 2000s. “Over the years, that curious and passionate young woman became a key member of our beauty team, a tireless accomplice in stories, star products and conversations that always aimed to inspire and serve other women,” she said.
Ms. Rocha said she last saw Ms. Díaz at an event for Dolce & Gabbana in April. The pair had toasted with a spritz and talked about the secrets to achieving radiant skin. The last message she received from Ms. Díaz came on Sunday night, she said, suggesting ideas and videos for Ms. Rocha to “keep creating.”
Ms. Rocha noted that Ms. Díaz had died the same day as the Met Gala — “as if even her departure carried that seal of style and beauty that always defined her.”
Francis Mateo and Samantha Latson contributed reporting. Kirsten Noyes contributed research.
Ashley Southall writes about cannabis legalization in New York.
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