A dramatic four-alarm fire tore through a six-story residential building at 201 West 107th Street near Amsterdam Avenue in Manhattan’s Upper West Side on Tuesday morning, sending residents into the cold and leaving dozens displaced.
Fire officials with the FDNY said the blaze began around 8:20 a.m. on the top floor of the non-fireproof building, which contains roughly 21 units. Flames quickly engulfed the roof and windows, while thick black smoke poured into the sky. Within minutes, the department escalated the situation from the initial alarm to a full four-alarm response as fire spread through the cockloft and roof area.
More than 140 firefighters and EMS personnel from around 40 units rushed to the scene, arriving in roughly three minutes. As crews battled the inferno via interior lines initially, worsening structural damage forced them to switch tactics — deploying tower ladders and exterior streams to fight the fire safely.
During the operation, part of the roof collapsed, and a parapet wall gave way, sending debris tumbling onto the sidewalk. Officials declared a collapse zone around the building, and surrounding streets were shut down as firefighters worked to extinguish the fire and assess structural damage.
Three residents and one firefighter suffered minor injuries and were transported to hospitals; no fatalities have been reported. Authorities say all those evacuated are expected to be okay. The blaze left many residents without homes in freezing weather; city emergency teams and the American Red Cross mobilized warming buses and offered support to displaced families.
As of early afternoon, firefighters had knocked down the main body of the fire, but remained on the scene to monitor hotspots and ensure the building’s stability. Investigators from the FDNY Fire Marshals have begun working to determine the cause of the blaze.
Residents and neighbors described a chaotic, frightening scene. On social media and community forums, one witness wrote:
“The firefighters were there in a matter of minutes and we’re working their asses off to knock it down. It went up insanely fast.”
For many in the building, the fire was a sudden destruction of their homes. As cleanup and recovery efforts begin, local community groups, emergency services, and housing support agencies are coordinating aid and temporary shelters for displaced families.
Officials urge anyone in need of assistance to contact the Red Cross hotline set up for this incident.
