Pack Rat Fire In Chinatown

A huge fire (we heard it was either three or four alarm) raged through a Chinatown apartment building yesterday morning. A 37th floor apartment was described as a "fireball" by firefighters; luckily, firefighters were able to contain the fire after two hours and knocking out the wall of an adjoining apartment. No residents seriously injured, though quite a few firefighters suffered burns. The culprit? Francis Wang's "knee-high stacks of newspapers," which probably caught fire from a pot that was left cooking on a stovetop when he went to Atlantic City. Yeah, exactly.

While knee-high stacks of newspapers aren't that smart - especially with food on the unattended stove - the Collyer Brothers who died amidst their 180 tons of garbage (much of it newspapers) are the grandfathers of the New York Pack Rat Pack. Last winter, a Bronx man was trapped in his apartment for two days after being buried by his magazines and newspapers, which prompted a follow-up on the phenomenon of Disposophobia. Gothamist loves keeping issues of The New Yorker from four years ago like the rest of you, but we just cleared out a closet, donating to the Salvation Army (they pick up) and bundling things to be recycled (here's a link to trash pickup near you) and we must say, it feels awesome.