Mom of newborn, elderly man die in Harlem blaze
Two people died in a blaze that tore through a Harlem apartment building early Friday, fanned by air that streamed through a door wedged open by clutter, officials said.
The mother of a newborn and an elderly man both perished in their fourth-floor apartments at 1833 Seventh Ave. in a fire that FDNY Commissioner Daniel Nigro said spread from a unit on the third floor — where a self-closing door was jammed open by household mess.
Smoke-eaters were hailed as heroes for climbing past the blaze on the third floor to save the newborn afer hearing his cries coming from the fourth floor.
The baby’s mother, Adianatou-Nene Korouma, 37, was pronounced dead at Mount Sinai Saint Luke’s Hospital.
An 81-year-old, identified by friends to CBS as Vietnam War Veteran Charles Brown, was pronounced dead at Mount Sinai Eastside Hospital.
Korouma’s 3-week-old son and 4-year-old daughter were among four people hurt in the blaze, according to officials and CBS.
The 4-year-old girl suffered cardiac arrest but was revived by EMS workers at the scene.
Korouma’s daughter was initially listed in critical condition but has since stabilized, authorities said. The baby also is in stable condition, officials said.
In addition to the children, a 44-year-old woman and 56-year-old woman were taken to NYC Health & Hospitals/Harlem, where they were listed in stable condition, cops said.
Commissioner Nigro hailed their FDNY rescuers.
“Any of us who have done this work know going above the fire takes determination and a willingness to put yourself at severe risk for the sake of others,” he said.
An open door to an apartment was also a major factor in a 2017 Bronx blaze that killed 13 people, Nigro noted, uring anyone who flees a fire to close the door behind them.
“What made this very difficult and what caused this fire to be fatal for two adults was the fact that, once again, the door to the fire apartment was left open,” he said.
“I can’t say enough how many times I’ve come to these scenes and said, ‘Close the door.’
“If you remember back to 2017, I was standing in front of a building like this one night where we lost 13 people who all died because the door to the fire apartment was left open.”
Firefighters do not believe either of the fourth-floor apartments had functioning smoke alarms, officials said.
The two-alarm blaze in the five-story building started about 1:45 a.m., according to officials, who said 106 firefighters responded.
Karouma reportedly first called her husband, Papa Kante, when she realized she and her children were trapped rather than calling 911 directly, which slowed rescuers’ response.
“When I answered the phone, right away I called 911 when she told me she could not get out,” Kante told CBS2. “She said she could not get out, it’s too much smoke.”
The fire was brought under control shortly after 3 a.m. and is not being considered suspicious.
Karouma’s grieving husband remembered her as a joyful woman and loving mother.
“She’s a lovely wife. I love her, and she’s a very good person,” Kante said.
The second victim, Brown, was a Vietnam War veteran and retired music professor at Borough of Manhattan Community College, CBS said.
“He was just a terrific guy,” Daniel Lipsman told the outlet.
“He was a consummate friend. He cared about people. He cared about the kids.”
