Black Sunday Fire Testimony: "Flames From Floor to Ceiling"

Firefighter Jeffrey Cool described the conditions of the January 23, 2005 fire that claimed the lives of two firefighters, "I saw flames from the floor to the ceiling... It was just real crazy. It was starting to get like hell in there." The tenants of a Bronx building, as well as the building's owner and manager, face manslaughter charges for illegally subdividing the space, essentially creating a death trap for the firefighters. The fire also raised questions about the FDNY's decision to stop supplying ropes to firefighters (Lt. Curtis Meyran and Firefighter John G. Bellew leaped to escape the blaze, but died, while Cool had a personal safety rope he bought). Cool admitted he sued the FDNY over not supplying ropes, but the Post reports he was testy when the defense lawyer asked him how long it took to fight the fire, "That's a good question. Because I was laying on my back in the alley."