rumor is a space heater in bedroom caused fire
(questionable, since cheap homedepot space heaters these days are all fire safe)
Chanasia Hunter, who lives on the 10th floor, agreed that the fire alarms would go off frequently.
another: The staircase (which is a fire escape) was flooded with water and smoke, people being trampled
another "the fire alarms went off regularly - we ignored the alarm" (you are NOT supposed to ignore it). and that happens in many buildings all across USA. responding to false alarms are the #1 thing that keeps fire dept busy.
firefighters, "the front door was left open. it's automatic closing arm was (for some reason - perhaps the fire) disabled. it was a serious violation of fire code. it cause many of the problems occupants experienced". (truth is people don't learn these days - and may have believed the rule applied only preceeding fires. there are all kinds of mis-understanding about why fire rules are the way they are)
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it does leave the question, hardly, if the heat was working. however the building was "communist rule" - repairs (such as elevator - last year) were definitely done. so there is no suspicion there.
Always one should suspect the landlord paid a tenant to lie about a space heater and the heating unit in the basement had failed (or the maintenance man did) or something of that nature.
"'The last time we had a loss of life that may be this horrific was a fire which was over 30 years ago, also here in the Bronx,' he added. "
https://www.the-sun.com/news/4427746/bronx-fire-new-york-apartment-live-east-street/
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10384341/People-seen-jumping-windows-Bronx-apartment-building-fire.html
it's a very good question if someone is lying or 1 bedroom+hall should cause the whole building filled with smoke: too many flammables in the residence or perhaps trampling was the cause of the deaths - we will learn in the future.
7 minutes ago
The Sun - usnews
What caused the fire?
A malfunctioning space heater sparked a fire that filled a high-rise Bronx apartment building with thick smoke Sunday morning, killing 19 people including nine children in New York City’s deadliest blaze in three decades.
The flames didn’t spread far — only charring the one unit and an adjacent hallway. But the door to the apartment and a door to a stairwell had been left open, letting smoke quickly spread throughout the building, Nigro said.
(keeping door shut: this is why new buildings require ventillation plans) this building 1972. currently the initiative is a mess (the ways and means to make correct ventillation assured are far from settled or implemented correctly when done)