Five Handlines Stretched to Contain Rapidly Spreading Top-Floor Blaze in the Bronx

 NYC, NY - A fast-moving fire swept through the top floor of a three-story residential building and extended into an adjacent structure in the Bronx on Friday afternoon, prompting a third-alarm response from the FDNY.

Firefighters were dispatched at approximately 12:45 p.m. on Friday, October 23, 2026, to 3408 Wright Avenue following initial emergency calls reporting a first-floor fire with occupants trapped inside a three-story multiple dwelling. First-due apparatus arrived on the fireground within four minutes to find heavy fire blowing out of the building's top floor rather than the ground level.

Despite early fears of entrapment, all four residents inside managed to self-evacuate prior to the arrival of suppression units. Four civilians suffered non-life-threatening injuries and received immediate medical evaluation and care from emergency medical responders.

Due to the intense volume of fire and rapid extension into an adjoining building, incident commanders quickly escalated the response to a third-alarm assignment, drawing significant additional apparatus and manpower to the scene. Operating under the direction of Deputy Assistant Chief Thomas Haughney, crews stretched and operated five separate handlines to cut off the fire’s progress through the top-floor living spaces and cockloft voids.

Firefighters brought the multi-building fire under control in approximately one hour, preventing further structural collapse and safeguarding neighboring homes. The exact origin and cause of the blaze remain under official investigation by the FDNY Bureau of Fire Investigation.