Fire in built environment

One person was killed and 15 other people were hurt after a high-rise fire in the Bronx.Citizen App video from a wider angle showed the top floors of the building as they turned into an inferno.The fire broke out early Saturday at 12:19 a.m. on Bivona Street between Reeds Mill Lane and Boston Road in Eastchester.It started on the 15th floor of the Boston Secor Houses. The FDNY was on the scene at the time to investigate a possible gas leak in the building.Officials say work was being done in the building, but only on the facade.The explosion occurred in the building about 15 minutes after emergency officials arrived on the scene.Several apartments became fully engulfed in flames.Residents were seen in the windows of the building and one man was even spotted dangling with his legs out of the building as he tried to escape the intense heat from the fire.One person was killed, another suffered critical injuries."Me and my kids, we all were asleep, and then there was a big explosion. We had to come down 12 flights of stairs," a woman said. "You know, he's in a wheelchair, and I had to struggle down the stairs with my three kids. My neighbor is the one who helped me and I don't know when we'll be able to go back in the building."Residents of the lower floors stayed in the building during the firefighting efforts, but have since been moved to a nearby school.
Mayor Mamdani met with residents of the building later Saturday morning."We've just come from meeting with the families affected by a fire. We are currently taking care of these families in coordination with the American Red Cross, providing them with food and blankets and looking to secure them shelter for this evening and the evenings to come," Mamdani said. "We also know that the current focus is not only an investigation into the source of the fire, but also to extract the 14 homebound residents that are currently in the building. As soon as that is done, there will be a structural test of the building to actually ensure that anyone can return back into it."The Red Cross reports that they are assisting 56 households and 175 individuals, including 57 children.