A Thursday evening fire has claimed the life of a 64-year-old man.
FDNY officials say they received a call about a ninth floor apartment fire at 850 Columbus Avenue (between West 102nd and 103rd streets)–a nine-story building which is part of the Frederick Douglass Houses NYCHA complex–at about 9:15 p.m. on Thursday.
Manhattan *10-77* Box 1280
850 Columbus Ave NYCHA Douglass Houses
FIRE APT 9B IN A 9 STORY 150X50— NYCFireWire (@NYCFireWire) October 25, 2024
A total of 20 units and 78 fire and EMS personnel were deployed to the scene of the fire, the cause of which is currently unknown and under investigation.
Videos shared to Citizen show the heavy emergency response both outside and inside the building.
c/o Citizen
c/o Citizen
A 64-year-old man, identified by police as Jeffrey Best, was found in the apartment and transported by EMS to an area hospital, where he was pronounced deceased. The NY Daily News reports that he had been discovered “unconscious suffering from smoke inhalation,” and that the fire did not spread to other apartments.
Two firefighters were also treated for minor injuries.
The FDNY deemed the fire under control at 9:57 p.m.
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