Firefighters battle five-alarm fire in Bronx apartment building

Fire marshals are still investigating the cause and origin of a ferocious five-alarm fire in the Bronx on Saturday morning.

FDNY arrived at the Parkchester blaze to find an apartment building at 1470 East Tremont Ave. in Parkchester on fire just after 11 a.m. on Nov. 8.

The heavy flames had several workers fleeing from an autobody shop located near the burning building.

A second alarm was quickly called and transmitted by the 6th Division.

A short time later, fire began venting through the roof of the one-story building.

“As members began moving the hoseline into operation, a wall collapsed,” FDNY Assistant Chief of Department John Esposito said.

The fire left four firefighters with minor injuries. EMS brought them to a nearby hospital for treatment.

Firefighters at the scene of a blaze in Parkchester on Nov. 8, 2025.Photo by Lloyd Mitchell

“I remember there being a large fire here a few years ago,” local resident Steven Ramirez said. “It was the same type of vibe, there was smoke everywhere.”

Some 220 firefighters used seven hose lines, including those from above an apartment building and five tower ladders from the exterior, to knock down the main body of the fire.

The fire was placed under control at 2:10 p.m. Saturday.

Firefighters arrive at the scene to extinguish the blaze.Photo by Lloyd Mitchell

The fire occurred the same day an FDNY firefighter died after suffering cardiac arrest while battling a blaze on an apartment rooftop in Brooklyn. FDNY officials said 42-year-old Patrick Brady, an 11-year veteran of the job and assigned to Ladder Company 120 in Brownsville, was on the roof of an all-hands fire at 9407 Kings Hwy. at around 9:40 p.m. on Nov. 8 when he suffered a medical episode.

His colleagues pulled him to safety, but he was later pronounced dead at Brookdale University Hospital Medical Center.

Andrew Ansbro, president of the FDNY Uniformed Firefighters Association (UFA), said Brady made the “ultimate sacrifice while protecting the people” of NYC.

“Patrick came from a proud FDNY family — a legacy of courage, dedication, and love for New York,” Ansbro said. “His loss will be felt not only in the firehouse but across the entire city that he served with such honor. On behalf of the UFA, I extend our deepest condolences to his wife, Kara, his brothers Jimmy and Brian, and the entire Brady family. We will stand beside them and ensure that Patrick’s bravery and commitment are never forgotten.”