What to Know
- A fire in an apartment building on the Upper West Side killed one person, firefighters say
- The victim used a wheelchair and was paralyzed, his uncle said
- The fire was contained to one apartment on the fifth floor of the six-story building. No one else was seriously hurt
A fire broke out in an apartment building on the Upper West Side on Monday, killing one person, firefighters said.
The victim, Robert Gutierrez, used a wheelchair and was paralyzed from a gunshot wound years earlier, his uncle told News 4.
The fire was contained to one apartment on the fifth floor of a six-story building on 105th Street between Columbus and Amsterdam avenues, the FDNY said.
The blaze was burning in a rear bedroom and the Gutierrez was found in that room, firefighters said.
He was brought down to the lobby where EMS workers pronounced him dead.
Gutierrez, 28, was alone in the apartment that he shared with his mom, sister and young son, the uncle said.
Local
The fire caused heavy smoke in the building hallway, firefighters said.
Two firefighters had minor injuries and were taken to local hospitals, the FDNY said. Another civilian was injured but refused medical attention.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Meanwhile, in Chelsea, another apartment fire sent flames surging through windows overlooking a busy street.
More than 100 firefighters were called to quell the three-alarm blaze around 3:30 p.m. Monday on West 23rd Street and Seventh Avenue in Chelsea.
No one was home when the fire engulfed a top-floor apartment, however, officials said two civilians were taken to an area hospital for minor injuries. One of them, a doorman, rescued several cats and dogs from the flames.
FDNY Division Chief Joseph Schiralli said it was a particularly "labor-intensive job" because the apartment was cluttered.
Eight firefighters suffered minor injuries and were taken to hospitals to be checked out.
It's not yet known what caused the blaze.
