Man Charged with Negligent Homicide After Discarded Cigarette Sparks Deadly Inwood Fire; Building Had 117 Violations

 A 29-year-old man has been arrested and charged with criminally negligent homicide after a cigarette he discarded ignited a fire that killed three people at an Inwood apartment building, the FDNY said Tuesday.

Victor Arias was charged in court the same day survivors of the deadly blaze gathered at Holy Trinity Church to raise concerns about their futures. Prosecutors said Arias was caught on surveillance camera smoking a cigarette in the building’s lobby and then dropping it into a pile of cardboard boxes. The FDNY confirmed the cigarette caused the apartment inferno.

“I’ve seen him in passing. I don’t know him,” said a tenant

City records from the New York City Housing Preservation and Development show 117 open violations at 207 Dyckman Street prior to the fire. The building is owned by Jack Bick, the head of Jan Jan Realty.

“What is clear is that Jack Bick, the landlord there, earned his place on our worst landlord watch list through widespread and repeated violations,” said Councilwoman 

Despite the violations, The Councilwoman noted that the building was already in a city program called the Alternative Enforcement Program (AEP). “The city was already taking measures to have the landlord fix the violations,” she said. She emphasized that ensuring resident safety requires teamwork between the city and landlords, adding that the building’s alarms did ring as they were supposed to.

A full vacate order remains in place where the fire broke out. Crews are currently working to determine which apartments are habitable.

“We don’t have a home right now,” one resident said, hoping the community would step in to help during the tragic chapter.