Photos: Three Alarm Fire Engulfs Soho Building, 10 Firefighters Injured

The Red Cross is still at the site of a dramatic 3-alarm fire on Thompson Street in Soho, providing relief to residents who were evacuated after fire tore through a seven story building around 2 a.m. today. Streets were closed off this morning as firefighters grappled with the blaze, which took two and a half hours to get under control. 10 firefighters were injured, and one female civilian, but we're told most the injuries are considered minor. (Update: FDNY spokesman Frank Dwyer just told us two of the firefighters were hurt more seriously, but the injuries "do not appear to be life threatening.")

FDNY officials say the fire started in the basement and quickly spread all the way up to the roof, which was consumed by a dramatic conflagration. There are multiple reports that smoke alarms in the building did not go off, and residents frantically banged on apartment doors to alert their neighbors to the emergency. “I couldn’t see anything. Not an inch in front of me,” one resident told NBC New York. “I was asking where to go. Go up, go down? I didn’t know where the fire was. It was insane.”

Over 150 firefighters and EMS responded to the blaze, but fire marshals have not yet entered the building, located at 68 Thompson Street, because the structure is so badly damaged. 72 Thompson Street has also been evacuated, and six families placed in emergency housing. The massive fire calls to mind last February's four alarm fire that ripped through a loft building at 82 Greene Street just before dawn, leaving three families homeless.

UPDATE: A Red Cross spokesperson tells us, "We provided comfort and refreshments to residents and firefighters at the scene of the fire. Temporary housing was provided for 15 adults, 1 child and 1 dog who were displaced by the fire. Other residents are being invited to our headquarters at 520 W 49th street for additional services and help with referrals to other city agencies that can provided assistance."

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By John Del Signore in News on August 5, 2011 9:09 AM

Comments [rss]

Jorge Suarez

I lived there until last night (I'm the guy in the blue Barcelona shirt in picture number 8). Not a single fire alarm was working. The folks who found out first were the ones who were awake because their power went out and they investigated by checking the hallways - which turned out to be full of smoke. I was asleep on the top floor and woke up for reasons as yet unknown to me. I had the time to grab my keys, phone and wallet and went outside into the staircase, where the smoke was so thick I couldn't see my feet. I called out for help and a firefighter grabbed me and put my arm on the railing by the stairs. He told me to hang on to the railing and make my way down quickly. I'm still spitting up blood from the irritation in my throat, a result of breathing in that much smoke. The Red Cross has been very helpful - they donated me a pair of shoes and got me put up in a hotel for the next three nights. I have spent the last few hours buying clothes and necessities because according to the fire department and Red Cross, I most likely no longer have any physical possessions left to salvage in my apartment. Turns out as a fire climbs upward, when it hits the top floor it runs out of vertical room to grow and moves in all directions horizontally. Thus the sixth floor erupted into flames and those of us on the sixth have most likely lost absolutely everything.

The building always gave me the impression that it was something of a death trap, although a sixth-floor walkup might just do that to your frame of reference. I moved in this past January and notified the management (Direct Management, based in Astoria) that, among such issues as my shower not functioning and my apartment not having a smoke or CO detector, the smoke detector in the hallway that my apartment faced had no batteries (the cover to the battery bay was missing). They never took appropriate action. There was a huge (8" diameter) gaping hole in the ceiling of that same hallway that leaked gallons when it rained heavily. Never fixed either.

A fancy building this most definitely was not. And the best part? My August rent check just cleared two days ago.

Anyone have a reliable legal contact?

RammyH

Anyone know if this is a "fancy" building or some less than well maintained relic from the pre-Gold rush days of the 80s?

thomas malley

An old crap building. Right across the street from me.

Jorge Suarez

Sorry, meant to reply to your post, not post a new comment. I lived there. See below.

Professor Von Nostren

Whoa, this is terrible.

Terry Ward

basement to roof so fast? where were the sprinklers? wtf?

Guest

Yes that fast. Some of the old law tenements can go up super fast. It only takes a few minutes for a fire to go from 1st floor to through the roof , sometimes not even five minutes. Look at the mid '70's when everything in the south Bronx was burning up. Get a common cockloft in attached buildings and the whole block can go in a short time.

Guest

Thank the FDNY that no one was hurt and that this conflagration was brought under control.

Mary O'Shaughnessy

I hope folks have renters' insurance.

canofpeas

I'm sure it wasn't arson.

ih8bloomturd

Dont worry according to paul washington head of fdny vulcan society firefighting is not that dangerous a job. Take the test enjoy th flexible schdule with includes working nights weekends and holiday and as a rookie firefighter the low pay entitles you and your family for pu lic assistance for the first 5 yrs