Residents of the Bronx building where 17 people perished in a fire returned the scene Monday to try to collect belongings — and struggled to take in the scope of the destruction that had once been their home.
Karen Dejesus, 54, a resident of the third floor where the fire broke out, had to be carried from the blaze down a fire-truck ladder. She was briefly allowed to retrieve medication from her home Sunday night.
“It looks like a war zone on the third floor,” she told The Post on Monday. “My door’s down, the wall adjacent to my apartment is broken, and all my windows are smashed.”
During the fire, “I could see the flames, and the smoke poured into my apartment,” she said. “You’re trapped — we have no fire escapes. I was scared to death in a burning building, not knowing if the firefighters would arrive in time.”
Fellow third-floor resident Nolia Arzu returned to the building Monday morning rattled and in need of accommodation.
Karen Dejesus lived on the third floor of the building and had to be rescued during the fire. Paul Martinka
Dejesus said her floor of the building looks like a “war zone” after she returned to retrieve her medication. Paul Martinka“I am good physically, but mentally, I was destroyed yesterday,” Arzu said. “I need somewhere to stay.”
Julia Fowler, 45, who lived on the ninth floor, is now staying at friend’s apartment nearby with her family.
“I can’t stop thinking about when they were bringing the bodies out of the building,” she said. “Watching EMS work on the babies is something I will never forget.”
Renee Howard, a 30-year resident of the building, was lucky enough to make it out alive with her son and godson.
“You couldn’t see your way out,” she said. “A firefighter who knocked on my door … he startled me because it was black outside. Hallways with no lights. He had these gorgeous blue eyes, and all you saw was kindness coming from within.”
Howard lives on the 19th floor, and said the firefighter took the stairs up to rescue people.
“He banged on the door and said, ’Is everybody OK?’ ” said Howard, who on Monday spoke with both NYPD Chaplain Robert Rice and city Community Affairs Chief Jeff Maddrey about what residents like her are experiencing.
Bronx good Samaritan Johanna Bellevue, 34, arrived at the burnt-out building Monday morning with bags full of donations, including baby clothes, baby formula and jackets.
“It’s a new year, and there’s already a pandemic going on, so it’s so much for these people to lose their homes as well,” Bellevue said. “I have come here to donate whatever I can, which is not much, but it’s what I can do to help.”
Residents struggled to take in the scope of the destruction.
The apartments are no longer a place residents can call home.
Firefighters attending a vigil for the victims of the fire outside of the Bronx building on January 10, 2022. Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty ImagesLocal Bronx non-profit Giving Friends pledged to donated hundreds of new coats, hats, gloves, personal-care items, and other things for those who lost everything in the fire.
Shanequa Charles, executive director of Miss Abbie’s Kids, one of the groups helping out the displaced residents, said the mental toll of the fire has been excruciating for the victims.
“The residents are hurt, they’re traumatized, they’re devastated. A lot of people have lost, if it wasn’t a loved one directly related to them — it was a neighbor on their floor, a child their child went to school with,” she said.
Residents of the Bronx apartment building return to their homes to collect their belongings. AP
Residents stand in line waiting to go inside the building. AP
The victims of the Bronx fire grabbed belongings that were not affected by the fire. APBurial funds are among the services her organization is providing.
“Bronx is the lowest performing county of all 62 in New York state. We’re talking about people who are not making more than $17,000 a year,” she said. “The majority of people don’t have life insurance. They are not even taught about the value of life insurance. They need to … be able to rebuild, and have a quiet moment with their thoughts.”
A girl inside a neighboring building. Many community members and organizations have been donating money and goods to victims of the fire. Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images
Monroe College on Jerome Avenue arranged a donation center for families. Gregory P. Mango
“I have come here to donate whatever I can, which is not much, but it’s what I can do to help” said Bellevue. Gregory P. Mango
Families impacted by the fire were able to pick up items they need from the center. Gregory P. MangoMonroe College opened its doors to survivors Monday as a temporary emergency response center, offering displaced residents assistance from city agencies, the Red Cross and other social-service agencies. Neighbors dropped off huge amounts of clothes, food, tampons and water bottles for the survivors.
Kemar Richards, 22, who lived with her mom and aunt on the seventh floor, was still grappling with the horror she witnessed.
Some residents did not go back to the apartment building because they knew there would be nothing left for them. Gregory P. Mango“I was the only one home, and I heard people screaming, ‘Help!’ and went into the hallway — it looked like midnight,” she said. “A lady with her baby was screaming and wanted to stay inside the building since she was scared to come down, and I told her, ‘No.’ ”
Richards, her mom and aunt were left effectively homeless.
“We can’t go inside, I don’t have anything left,” she said.
