NYC dad making vape cartridges believed to have sparked fire that killed wife, daughter : cops
A Brooklyn fire that killed a woman and her teenage daughter is believed to have been accidentally sparked by her husband — who was making vape cartridges in their home, police said Wednesday.
The dad, identified by law enforcement sources as Mufeed Al Haddad, was putting together the homemade vape filers when they ignited, with the flames spreading through the three-story house on Fountain Avenue near Liberty Avenue in Cypress Hills around 2:15 a.m. Monday, according to NYPD Chief of Detectives James Essig.
Essig said it was unclear how the products caught fire, but that the blaze did not appear to have been started intentionally.
“Now, is that criminal? That’s still to be determined,” the chief told reporters.”Just having the presence of an accelerant doesn’t make a crime. You can have gas in … your garage and accidentally set it on fire but we have to work through what was the liability. Was it criminal liability?”
Essig said that authorities found “a lot” of vape products upstairs, where the father worked on the cartridges.
The man’s wife and 17-year-old daughter, identified by sources as Amal Al Haddad and Rowan Al Haddad, were killed in the inferno.
Two other daughters of the couple, ages 10 and 14, were left in critical condition, police said. Their 9-year-old son was hospitalized but was expected to recover.
The dad escaped with burns to his hands and forearms, police said.
Neighbors told The Post they saw him sprinting out of the house with his arms on fire before trying to run back in to save his family.
Cops were continuing to investigate the incident as a possible homicide.
