A fire that tore through a Flatbush apartment building on Nov. 3 has destroyed 24 apartments and left a number of residents displaced with nowhere to turn.
More than 150 firefighters responded to the blaze at 222 Lenox Road, which burned mostly between the roof and top floor before being extinguished, according to Brooklyn Paper.
Although it spared Congressmember Yvette Clarkeâs ground floor office, the fire destroyed 24 apartments, leaving a number of tenants without shelter or any of their belongings. Tenants whose apartments were rendered uninhabitable were given hotel vouchers by the Red Cross, however those are set to expire this week.
Tenant Kimberly Scott told Brooklyn Paper that she feared she and she son would be moved to a homeless shelter when they have to leave their hotel on Nov. 10, and she said she wasnât the only tenant in that situation.
Scott accused building manager Pinnacle Management of being unresponsive and, along with other tenants, was calling on the company to do more to help its displaced tenants.
âItâs just been a nightmare,â Scott said. âWeâre being treated like we caused it, like itâs our fault.â
Pinnacle has a number of apartment buildings across Brooklyn and the Bronx, and has a history of legal battles with tenants, Brooklyn Paper reports.
A company representative told Brooklyn Paper that Pinnacle was working to complete repairs so that tenants may return to their apartments.
âManagement has been working every day to complete repairs and will continue to coordinate with the Department of Buildings so the remaining tenants can return to their homes as quickly as possible,â the spokesperson said.
Tenant TJ Walker, whose apartment still has a gaping hole in the wall from where firefighters had to gain access, said it was Pinnacleâs obligation to put tenants up in one of their other properties.
âItâs open season on my apartment right now,â Walker told Brooklyn Paper. âAnybody could go in â" animals, elements, you name it.â
Multiple tenants told Brooklyn Paper they suspected the fire was a result of work being performed on the roof by the management company.
The spokesperson for Pinnacle declined to discuss the cause of the fire, which, according to the Fire Department, is still under investigation.
