Survivors come home after deadly Bronx fire

Josh Einiger Image
Tuesday, January 2, 2018
Survivors come home after deadly Bronx fire
Josh Einiger has more on survivors coming home after Thursday's deadly fire in the Belmont section of the Bronx.

BELMONT, Bronx -- The heartache from Thursday's Bronx fire is beyond what anyone could bear. On New Year's Day, in front of the boarded-up incinerator of a building, the survivors came home.

Kadiann Blake was home on the third floor when the fire raged throughout the building. Her aunt was two stories up.

"We were the last ones who came down from the fire escape, and when I looked up I'm like 'there's no way my aunt can, can get down.' All the glass was breaking - there's no way," Blake said.

Blake's aunt was one of the 12 to die.

Some of the residents returned to gather what they could salvage, but the fact remains - those who made it out still lost everything.

At a restaurant on Fordham Road - appropriately called 'Essentials' - volunteers have been collecting everything from T-shirts to toothpaste to toys for their neighbors to have nothing.

Blake is five-months pregnant and was hospitalized for smoke inhalation. Monday was her first trip back.

"I'm upset, I'm grieving - I'm angry. Just a lot of emotions right now I don't know how to process it. It's just hard," added Blake.

There are now several different places accepting donations for those displaced by the fire, along with GoFundMe pages to help pay for burials.

CLICK HERE to help children affected by the Bronx fire.

CLICK HERE for how you can help cover funeral costs for the victims.