2-Alarm West 34th Street Fire Caused by Smoker

The Fire Department has revealed the cause of yesterday's fire on the roof of 515 West 34th Street: Careless smoking. There are no further details, but we imagine careless smoking means a smoker on the rooftop didn't properly extinguish a butt.

Over 100 firefighters responded to the fire which took place in a building the NY Times says "houses some apartments and offices for Coach." Two firefighters were injured, and different city agencies are looking at the stability of the roof decking (one report said the fire occurred on a "patio"). A graphics designer for Coach told the Post the roof deck was undergoing renovations.

Newsday reports that since a first in the building last summer, there have been many fire drills. So many that some building occupants didn't think yesterday's incident was an actual fire. An employee at an air-conditioning company in the building said, "Usually no one pays attention to all the fire alarms, but someone said, 'This is real!'"

Photograph of the fire by Frank Franklin II/AP

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By Jen Chung in News on May 25, 2007 9:35 AM

Comments [rss]

Brightliner

Nick,

You're a fool. "Legally smoking outside"? Many buildings specifically prohibit smoking around their entrances. Some even prohibit smoking within 50 feet of the entrance. And that's completely allowed by law. Jackass smokers just stand right at the "No smoking in this area signs" anyway as if they didn't exist. It's like nicotine paralyzes their legs. Something tells me you're one of these assholes.

doubtful

IIRC didn't NYS mandate within the last few years a switch requiring all cigarettes to go out quickly of their own accord when discarded to prevent this sort of situation, and sleeping smoker fires at home, etc.? Oh yes, I see the law went into effect about TWO YEARS AGO. Very interesting.

nyclv

wow is all I can say to ALL of these comments.

"James Frey"

Roof decking is a patio, independent of the actual roof. And for those who didn't see it, the water tower - a wooden structure - also caught fire. Somewhat ironic.

Message to you butt-heads - stamp out your cancer-sticks instead of just flicking them away carelessly. Kill yourselves fine; try not to take us with you.

Tom

Brightliner--

Something tells me that Reality Czech was kidding. Geesh! Lighten up!

nick

re: brightliner

wait.. so you're complaining about smokers that are legally smoking outside.. just not far away from you?? how is that militant??

its a shame there are other people on the planet other than yourself.

xxx

Cigarettes don't set roofs on fire.

However, construction workers smoking whilst staining or shellacked roof deck wood.

That would do the trick.

Brightliner

Spoken like a desperate nicotine addict. And if people were allowed to smoke in bars, there would never be house fires started by people smoking in bed, right? I'm sure everybody has time to go to a bar at all hours of the day whenever they feel that urge to light up.

Every time I run into a militant smoker who refuses to move away from a building entrance, I think, "Lung cancer couldn't happen to a nicer person. Pity it takes so damn long."

Reality Czech

If the person was allowed to smoke in a bar, this probably woudl never have happened.

whatever

Is it really too much trouble to completely extinguish a cigarette when you're finished smoking?

Most people I see just toss their cigarettes when they're finished with them. Lazy smokers have also been the cause of many serious forest fires--particularly in the western states.

Damnit, get in the habit of making sure your cigarette is completely out. (At least stomp it out, don't just carelessly throw your cigarette wherever you happen to be.)

a reason

It was a really nice roof deck that burned. I used to work for Coach there at the corporate offices and spent some nice hot afternoons up there. It had just opened up last year. Too bad. Stupid smoker.