At the Boston Secor Houses, a New York City Housing Authority complex in the Bronx’s Eastchester district, a routine report of a gas odor turned disastrous in the very cold early hours of Saturday, January 24, 2026.
Firefighters from the FDNY arrived shortly after midnight at the 17-story tower located at 3485 Bivona Street, between Reeds Mill Lane and Boston Road, to investigate the smell emanating from upper floors. Residents in the well-established public housing development, home to nearly 1,180 people across multiple buildings, had no indication that the night would erupt into chaos.
While crews were inside the building assessing the potential leak, a powerful gas explosion rocked the structure around 12:30 a.m., originating on the 15th floor and sending shockwaves through the high-rise. The blast ignited intense fires that quickly spread to apartments on the 16th and 17th floors, engulfing multiple units in flames and filling hallways with thick smoke. The force damaged interiors extensively, complicating immediate access as debris and structural concerns arose in the aging tower.
The incident rapidly escalated to a four-alarm response, drawing over 200 firefighters and dozens of units to the scene amid subfreezing temperatures that made operations more hazardous with icy conditions on ladders and equipment. A mayday was briefly transmitted as crews faced heavy fire conditions on the top floors, requiring aggressive interior attacks and exterior streams to contain the blaze that threatened to spread further in the densely occupied building.
Tragically, one resident was found deceased at the scene, while 15 others sustained injuries ranging from critical to minor, including one firefighter treated for exhaustion or smoke inhalation. A critically injured civilian was rushed to Jacobi Medical Center, as paramedics worked in the cold to triage those affected by burns, smoke, or trauma from the explosion’s aftermath. The precise cause of death and full injury details remained under review by authorities.
With fires raging on upper levels and safety concerns paramount, officials ordered the evacuation of approximately 150 apartments in the affected tower, displacing hundreds of residents into the bitter night. Families bundled in whatever they could grab hurried out, assisted by Red Cross teams and city buses providing temporary shelter, as the complex’s community grappled with sudden homelessness in a neighborhood known for its working-class resilience.
As dawn broke over the smoke-lingering structure at 3485 Bivona Street, fire marshals and investigators began probing the explosion’s origins, noting prior facade work but confirmed completion of any gas-related repairs. The disaster highlighted ongoing challenges in maintaining aging public housing infrastructure, leaving displaced families awaiting relocation support and the Eastchester community mourning a loss amid calls for thorough accountability in a city where such incidents underscore the vulnerabilities of high-rise living.