Authorities Flagged Awful Conditions at Bronx Apartment Building Before Fire

Before smoke from an apartment fire killed 17 people on Jan. 9 in the Bronx, the New York City Housing Authority flagged severe problems in the complex that never got fixed, the New York Post reports. Among the problems were malfunctioning or nonexistent smoke alarms, mold, clogged exhaust fans, and dysfunctional ovens. Eight children died in the fire, which was sparked by a space heater. Five apartments failed inspections between 2019 and 2021. Tysena Jacobs, a 69-year-old resident of the 15th floor, told the Post, “When I moved here 30 years ago the building was nice. For the last five years the maintenance has been lousy.” Francisco Javier, a 17-year-old third floor resident, said, “Even when they fixed the smoke alarms, it wouldn’t be long until they broke again.”