Illegally Parked Cars Hamper Firefighters

Fire in a Manhattan apartment building killed a 2-year-old boy and injured four people Saturday, and firefighters said they were seriously hampered by “double- and triple-parked cars.”

Firefighter Frank Martinez said engines were delayed from entering the building’s street because it was blocked by cars, and that when the cars were moved, firefighters found a hydrant blocked by still more illegally parked cars.

By the time hoses from Ladder Co. 45 reached the building, fire had engulfed the apartment, fire officials said.

“We were hampered by the double-parked cars. It is a big factor because time is of the essence when responding to a fire,” Martinez said. “We really could not have decided that in any way it would have changed the results. That’s a hard thing to make a determination on.”