By Carla Zanoni
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
INWOOD — Eight families were allowed back to their homes Friday, more than two weeks after a fire tore through their six-story apartment building, killing two family pets, gutting two apartments and leaving dozens homeless.
The residents of 510 W. 218th St. were allowed to return home on Christmas Eve after the their landlord Hakim Azizi made repairs to eight of 13 apartments that needed new windows, doors and locks, according to Martin Collins, community liaison for City Councilman Robert Jackson.
Azizi had previously missed a deadline from the city Department of Housing Preservation and Development requesting he make repairs by Dec. 17.
"It truly was wonderful news on this holiday," Collins said. "Our hope is that the rest of the families will be home by New Year’s Eve."
The building repairs were made following several violations issued against Azizi by the HPD eight days after the Dec. 9 fire.
Azizi did not respond to calls for comment.
HPD did not respond immediately to requests for information over the holiday weekend.
A total of 18 apartments were affected by the fire, with five so badly damaged they are not expected to be fully repaired for at least six months, according to Collins.
John and Kristen Galvin and their upstairs neighbors, Tom Cicero and Darren Nimtich, were the hardest hit during the fire. Both lost family pets and the contents of their homes to the fire.
Inwood residents banded together to raise at least $13,000 for the Galvins, who had no renter’s insurance on their home, while Nimtich and Cicero said they would not accept any donations from the public as their fire damage was covered by renter’s insurance.
Starlight Dry Cleaning, which operates on the commercial floor of the building, was covered by insurance and was able to reopen on Dec. 17 after repairing water and smoke damage in the store.
Fire officials said the fire at 510 W. 218th St. was most likely caused by an electrical malfunction.
A sophisticated marijuana lab was also discovered in the building during the rescue operations, according to 34th Precinct Capt. Jose Navarro. The lab was not related to the cause of the fire, said fire officials.
