Surviving displaced residents of the devastating fire in Belmont on April 21 in which two people were killed say they have been calling 311, the FDNY, and local elected officials to seek answers on the cause of the fire, retrieval of any salvageable belongings, and on the status of at least seven cats and one dog left behind and believed to be still inside the building.
The 5-story structure, currently the subject of a full vacate order, also has a temporary barricade erected around the front, while the back entrance has been blocked off by a piece of plywood placed over a locked, chain-linked fence.
As reported, the 5-alarm fire broke out inside 660 East 187th Street on Tuesday, April 21. Read our prior coverage of the incident here, here and here. After the fire, NYC Department of Buildings (DOB) issued a Full Vacate Order for the entire building, including several stores located at ground level.
Meanwhile, after what they say were repeated pleas for help, on Monday, May 4, thirteen days after the fire, members of the FDNY, DOB, NYC Department of Housing, Preservation and Development (HPD), and Animal Care Centers of NYC (ACC) met outside the building to discuss what could be done to rescue/retrieve the missing animals…