Woman Dies in Manhattan High-Rise Fire: FDNY

An elderly woman died in a high-rise fire on Manhattan's East Side Tuesday afternoon, the FDNY says.

Firefighters were called to a building on Sutton Place South at about 2 p.m. for a fire on the 14th floor. It's not clear if the 66-year-old victim was already deceased when firefighters found her.

The blaze has been knocked out. Authorities are investigating a cause. 

Neighbors said the victim's husband arrived home after the fire and was speaking to fire officials at the scene. 

Marjorie Blank, who lives next door, said she saw a lot of smoke, and when firefighters broke the windows of the victim's apartment, the smoke started billowing from the victim's apartment into hers. 

Their floor has been flooded from water used to put out the fire, she said, but there were no other injuries. Residents have been allowed to return to their apartments. 

Contact Us