A significant two-alarm fire erupted at 100 John Street, a 29-story residential building, on Saturday afternoon, approximately at 2:15 PM. While fortunately, no injuries were reported, the incident sparked considerable concern and outrage among residents. They claimed a critical failure in building safety measures: the fire alarms purportedly did not activate to alert them to the unfolding danger.
Barbara Owlasluk, a 26-year-old resident of the 27th floor, just four stories above the fire’s origin, recounted her alarming experience. “I went to my balcony after my roommate urgently called me to evacuate,” she stated. “Incredibly, not a single fire alarm was triggered. Neither in-unit smoke detectors nor building-wide alarms went off. Our entire floor was rapidly filling with smoke, and we received no warning from the building’s system.”
Brittney, a resident on the 16th floor, who understandably declined to provide her last name, was visibly shaken while standing across the street, watching the aftermath at 100 John Street. “There was absolutely no fire alarm sound. We discovered the fire purely by accident,” she explained. “We were heading out to get food when I suddenly felt dizzy. In the elevator, we overheard walkie-talkie chatter about an emergency. Attempting to use the stairwell, we found it flooded. The second stairwell was also inaccessible, and only then did people tell us the building was on fire.”
Nicole Riccardi, also residing on the 27th floor of 100 John Street, was alerted by a neighbor from an adjacent building. “I was on my balcony when a man on a nearby terrace shouted to get out immediately. I looked down and could see flames engulfing a balcony directly below mine,” she described. Taylor Pratt, living on the 21st floor, even closer to the fire, was similarly unaware until his roommate called from downstairs. “I was completely oblivious. I didn’t see any smoke, nor did I smell anything unusual,” Pratt added, highlighting the apparent lack of sensory warnings within 100 John Street.
Battalion Chief Thomas Haughty, speaking at the scene, indicated that the fire is believed to have originated on the 23rd floor of 100 John Street. “Initial assessments suggest the fire may have extended downwards to the 22nd-floor balcony before reaching windows on the 24th floor. However, containment was largely achieved on the 23rd floor,” Chief Haughty detailed. He confirmed that the cause of the fire at 100 John Street is under active investigation by the Fire Department.
An FDNY spokesperson confirmed that there were no injuries resulting from the incident. “Some individuals reported smoke inhalation and were evaluated on-site as a precaution,” Haughty mentioned, ensuring resident safety was prioritized during the FDNY response at 100 John Street.
The FDNY spokesperson further stated that a significant response of 135 firefighters was deployed to combat the blaze at 100 John Street. They successfully brought the fire under control in approximately 53 minutes, preventing further escalation and damage.
When contacted on Monday morning, the property manager’s office at 100 John Street declined to comment initially. However, later on Monday afternoon, a spokesperson for Moinian, the property management company, issued an email statement addressing the incident at 100 John Street. The statement read: “100 John Street, like all our properties, is fully compliant with all New York City Fire Code requirements. Building alarms were indeed activated, promptly notifying both management and the Fire Department about the emergency.” The statement concluded by affirming the company’s commitment to “cooperating fully with all relevant authorities to rigorously determine the cause of this incident at 100 John Street.” The investigation into the fire and the alleged alarm failure at 100 John Street is ongoing.
