THE BRONX — A family is worried about their missing dogs after a fire tore through six homes in Claremont on Wednesday afternoon.
The fire erupted inside 1342 College Ave., near East 169th Street, about 2:08 p.m. and spread through the cockloft to adjoining homes, an FDNY spokesman said.
(DNAinfo/Eddie Small)
Katrina Wigfall, who lives on the first floor of the building with her 17-year-old daughter, said the fire started on the floor above them, and while the two of them escaped without injury, she was concerned about her two missing dogs: a Maltese shih tzu named Pikachu and a teacup Yorkie named Lady.
However, she was still grateful that she and her daughter were not injured.
“Besides the fact that we’re homeless, we’re fine,” she said.
(Katrina Wigfall/Instagram)
A Maltese shih tzu named Pikachu is one of two dogs missing in the wake of a massive Bronx fire, according to the dog's owner Katrina Wigfall.
The fire broke out at 1:39 pm., and 168 firefighters and EMS officials responded, according to FDNY Deputy Assistant Chief Joseph Woznica.
One civilian and five firefighters suffered minor injuries in the blaze, and fire officials were unaware of any animals trapped in the building, according to Woznica.
The building where the fire started has been subject to various Department of Buildings complaints throughout the years.
Callers complained that the kitchen and other rooms had been illegally subdivided to make room for an additional living spaces in 2011, 2012 and 2013, according to DOB records.
Complaints were reported about work being done without a permit, records show.
In 2014, a caller reported a car with California plates parked out front of the building was brimming with trash that attracted rodents, records show.
Kenny Everton lives two buildings from where the fire started and said it was "a number 10 fire" on a scale of 1 to 10.
"I heard glass bust and everything, and I didn't know what it was," Everton said. "I thought someone had broken a window."
It wasn't immediately clear what sparked the Wednesday fire.
.@FDNY 3 Alarm Fire: College Ave & E 169th St, BX. Expect smoke & traffic delays in area. People nearby avoid smoke, close windows
— NYCEM - Notify NYC (@NotifyNYC) March 1, 2017
