NYC Fire Truck. Credit: CityLaw.

Tenant left on a food warmer which ignited a fire in the apartment where firefighter was injured. Firefighter John Walsh suffered a debilitating shoulder injury when putting out a fire in Miriam Michelson’s high rise apartment. Michelson observed the Sabbath and used a warming tray to prepare and heat food.  Michelson left the warming tray on while away from her apartment.  The warming tray was plugged into a timer which was plugged into a wall.  Because of faulty wiring the warming tray overheated which burned the wire’s insulation and ignited nearby combustible material.  The fire quickly spread from the kitchen to the rest of the apartment and up to the sixth floor, blowing out windows and causing an air conditioner to fall down into the courtyard, prompting a neighbor to call 911.  (read more…)

9 East 36th Street. Image credit: CityLaw.

Tenant sued landlord over fire in his rent-stabilized apartment that had allegedly originated from inadequate wiring. James Daly, the tenant of a rent-stabilized studio apartment located at 9 East 36^th Street in Manhattan, suffered injuries from a fire that occurred on June 19, 2013. The apartment, built in the 1930s, was 700 square feet consisting of a living area, a gallery kitchen, three closets, a bathroom, and a hall connecting the gallery kitchen to the bathroom. There were a total of seven electrical outlets in the apartment; three in the living area, two in the gallery kitchen, one in the hall, and one in the bathroom. (read more…)