3 Dead, 5 in Critical Condition After Manhattan Apartment Building Fire, FDNY Says

Firefighters responded to the blaze on Dyckman Street in the Inwood neighborhood just after 12:30 a.m., officials said.

Published: 5/4/2026, 2:44:19 PM EDT

3 Dead, 5 in Critical Condition After Manhattan Apartment Building Fire, FDNY Says — Firefighters respond to a three-alarm fire which left three people dead and several others injured at an apartment building in the Inwood neighborhood of Manhattan on May 4, 2026. (Courtesy of the FDNY)

A fire tore through an apartment building in Manhattan early Monday, leaving three people dead and nearly a dozen others injured, officials said.

Firefighters responded to the blaze on Dyckman Street in the Inwood neighborhood just after 12:30 a.m., where they found several residents attempting to exit the building via fire escapes, according to a statement from the Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY).

Officials said flames broke out on the first floor of the six-story building and quickly spread through the only stairway, extending to eight apartments on multiple floors and up to the roof.

"It was an extremely dangerous and difficult firefighting operation," FDNY Chief of Department John Esposito said during a press briefing Monday. "We had to stretch multiple hose lines and trying to stretch them up the fire escape while at the same time rescuing civilians from those fire escapes in the front of the building and the rear of the building."

Three people were pronounced dead at the scene, and five were transported to area hospitals in critical condition. A firefighter was also injured and is in stable condition, and four other non-life-threatening injuries were reported, FDNY Deputy Assistant Chief Cesar Escobar told reporters at the scene.

Nearly 200 fire and emergency medical services personnel responded to the three-alarm fire, which was placed under control at 3 a.m.

Roughly 100 residents were displaced from the building as a result of the fire. Officials said it was not yet clear whether all three fatalities were from the same apartment unit. The identities of the deceased and those injured have not yet been released, and authorities said the cause of the blaze remains under investigation.

Speaking to reporters, FDNY Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore emphasized the importance of safety measures during fire emergencies.

"The one thing I can say that is critical and super important for us to all remember, especially in a time of crisis, is to close the door and leave the door closed," she said.

Bonsignore noted that in the six-story, non-fireproof building, apartments that had the doors closed sustained significantly less damage than those that had them open, which saw greater fire impact.

"Close the door is an important message we need everybody to understand," the fire commissioner added. "I know it's a scary situation in a fire. We're not always thinking straight, but close the door. Make sure all your family members know to do the same."