Major fires have more than doubled in the Bronx over the past two years, driven by a concerning rise in electrical system problems across the borough’s aging building stock, city officials say.
The Bronx was the site of 27 multi-alarm fires as of May 13 of this year, FDNY Chief John Esposito told city councilmembers at a hearing Monday. Esposito said the figure was a “significant increase” from the 16 multi-alarm fires that occurred over the same time period in 2025, and 12 that ripped through Bronx buildings over that time in 2024.
Hours after his testimony, firefighters responded to another multi-alarm blaze on East 137th Street in Mott Haven late Monday night. Last month, a fire on Bainbridge Avenue in the Fordham section of the borough killed a 1-year-old boy. Another on West Tremont Avenue left one man dead…