TAKING ACTION: Gas shut off weeks after Bronx fire, leaving Norwood tenants relying on hot plates
Tenants told News 12 the utility was cut off Wednesday following what management says is a fire-related gas leak — nearly three weeks after the March 17 blaze.
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Residents on Decatur Avenue say they’re facing a new setback weeks after a fire tore through their building — their gas has now been shut off.
Tenants told News 12 the utility was cut off Wednesday following what management says was a fire-related gas leak — nearly three weeks after the March 17 blaze.
“I have a bad headache, and my pressure has been up ever since,” said resident Doretha Cameron. “And we still suffering.”
Notices posted throughout the building say management — identified as CYA Management — is providing hot plates for tenants to cook while repairs are underway. But residents say the transition hasn’t been easy.
“My thing is how you cut the gas off three weeks later — no notice, no nothing,” Cameron said. “Y’all sent everything after the fact.”
It remains unclear why the gas shutoff happened weeks after the fire or how long service will be out. News 12 has reached out to management and is awaiting a response.
The gas outage adds to ongoing challenges for tenants still dealing with damage from the fire.
“If not for the Red Cross, I would’ve been in trouble,” said Harry Barnwell, who is staying in a temporary unit after his apartment was destroyed, damaged by water FDNY used to contain the blaze.
Barnwell said he feared he lost his cat, Missy, in the fire — but after searching through debris inside his apartment, he made an emotional discovery.
“When I pushed the mattress back, I found her,” he said. “She was under all that rubbish.”
For now, residents say they’re doing what they can — relying on hot plates and makeshift meals — while waiting for answers when gas service will be restored.
News 12 is continuing to press management for updates.
