FEMA launches new national plan for fire safety - on the anniversary of deadly Bronx fire

One year ago, 17 people died from smoke inhalation in a high rise fire in the Bronx, New York. On the anniversary of that tragedy, the Federal Emergency Management Agency in the US will announce a new national plan to combat “America’s fire problem”. 

FEMA announces new plan to "combat America's fire problem"

According to an article in the New York Times, the Federal Emergency Management Agency will announce a new national plan to combat “America’s fire problem”. It will do it with backing from  federal legislation that President Biden signed last month.

"The legislation will give the United States Fire Administration the power to identify the causes of fires like the one at the Twin Parks North West housing complex in the Bronx, New York City’s deadliest inferno in decades. It also allows the agency, which is part of FEMA, to identify other buildings with similar problems and to issue recommendations", says the article. 

An investigation by The New York Times found that the "fire safety system at the Twin Parks apartment tower in the Bronx suffered a catastrophic failure and that the deaths were preventable. The blaze was sparked by an electric space heater that ignited a mattress, but the victims died of smoke inhalation, not the fire itself. Investigators believe that deadly smoke was able to spread to the upper floors of the 19-story building because of faulty self-closing doors".

New plan involves investigating buildings with similar problems

Lori Moore-Merrell, head of the U.S. Fire Administration, said in an interview that the new investigative authority will allow her agency to ask questions like how many other buildings in New York have those same kinds of points of failure?

From the article on CTIF.org, January 12, 2022:

"On January 9 2022, New City experienced what is said to be the worst high rise fire in 30 years.  17 people died  and many were seriously injured. (* the initial number of casualties was thought to be 17)

The majority of the victims did not die from exposure to the fire itself, but from not being able to escape the smoke, which lead to lung and / or heart failure. The building is said to have lacked the exterior fire escape stair cases which are otherwise often common in New York apartment buildings.   

The door to the apartment where the fire started was found open, which is thought to have been the reason why so much toxic smoke reached the upper floors of the building.

"The door to the fire apartment was left open. Be #FDNYSmart – Close the door as you make your exit. See more tips at http://fdnysmart.org", tweeted the New York Fire Department on their Twitter page, where they also posted a video with images from inside the apartment building after the fire had been put out."

Photo Credit: Above:  The Bronx: Low income tower blocks with Manhattan in the background. Photo by Alex Drainville.     Creative Commons Licence: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/