9 Children Among 19 Dead in NYC’s Worst Fire Disaster in 30 Plus Years
Posted on 01/09/2022
At least 19 people have died, including nine children, at a high-rise Bronx apartment building fire that city officials are calling one of the worst in over 30 years. “This is going to be one of the worst fires we have witnessed here in modern times in the City of New York,” Mayor Eric Adams said at a press conference several hours after the blaze ruined the building.
The commissioner of the New York City Fire Department revealed at least 63 initial victims who were being treated for varying injuries. The building is a 19-story residential building on East 181st Street in Fordham Heights. The inferno was sparked by a malfunctioning electric space heater in the children’s bedroom of Mamadou Wague. The fire erupted shortly before 11am. Mamadou Wague lived in Unit 3N with his wife and eight kids.
The property is at 333 East 181st Street Bronx, NY 10457. The building was built in 1972.
On January 3, 2020, LIHC Investment Group (formerly Low Housing Income Corp.), San Francisco-based Belveron Partners, LLC, and Camber Property Group bought an affordable housing portfolio in the Bronx from Ruby Schron’s Cammeby’s International Group for US$ 170 million (US$ 166 million + assuming US$ 4 million of existing debt). The Mitchell-Llama buildings contain 1,275 affordable housing units, and 10 commercial units. The properties were built in the 1970s and most recently renovated in 2014. The portfolio of buildings include the fire-burnt building of 333 East 181st Street, while other assets are 2111 Southern Boulevard, 800-820 East 180th Street, 1880 and 2000 Valentine Avenue, 1985 Webster Avenue, 2100 Tiebout Avenue, and 355-365 East 184th Street. The deal was financed by the New York State Housing Finance Agency (HFA) and Freddie Mac. The 333 East 181st Street Bronx apartment complex was purchased for US$ 24,675,000 in 2020.
Interestingly, Rick Gropper is a Co-Founder and Principal at Camber Property Group. Rick Gropper was one of the nearly 800 individuals named in December 2021 to the newly-elected New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ transition team.
Rubin “Ruby” Schron is a New York City real estate investor, landlord, and the founder of Cammeby’s International Group. LIHC Investment Group is led by Charlie and Andrew Gendron.