Hair Dryer Fire Turns Fatal

Yesterday night, a fire raged through a Washington Heights apartment building, killing one man. Apparently, hairdresser Ida Cocino had been practicing styling techniques on a doll and left her hair dryer turned-on on her mattress. The mattress caught fire quickly. The Daily News says that Cocino knocked on other doors to let tenants know about the fire, but "she left her door open, allowing the flames to spread into the hallway." An older man, Miguel Grillon, did not leave his apartment because, according to his roommate, he thought the fire was a joke. And when he did leave the apartment, Battalion Chief John Newell explained that Grillon was "overcome with flame and smoke."

Here are fire safety tips from the FDNY; in the tips for fires in high-rise buildings, the FDNY recommends, "Get everyone out. Stay low as you go out. Close but don't lock all doors in the apartment as you leave." The NY Times adds that the fire alarms in the building at 517 West 160th Street did not go off.