Inwood residents displaced by fire say they've been worried about their building for years
Days after a fire in Inwood killed two women and one man, displaced residents say it was only a matter of time before their apartment building went up in flames.
FDNY investigators are still looking into what caused the adjoined building at 207 and 209 Dyckman St. to erupt at around 12:30 a.m. on Monday.
Lawsuit filed against building owner
Some told CBS News New York that they'd previously raised concerns over the building, which is an older property.
Court documents show the Department of Housing Preservation and Development filed a lawsuit just days ago against JanJan Realty Corp., the owner of 209 Dyckman St., and its president, Jack Bick, allegedly over "unsafe conditions as part of an intentional and aggressive campaign to harass and displace rent-stabilized tenants."
The lawsuit cites conditions such as "collapsing ceilings, fire hazards such as obstructions to egress, broken flame retardant in a common area of the building," and more.
The building at 207 Dyckman St. is currently enrolled in the HPD's Alternative Enforcement Program (AEP), which targets buildings with multiple housing maintenance code violations.
The building's owner declined to comment when CBS News New York first reached out to them.
Family believes mother, daughter died in fire
Ylka Diaz told CBS News New York her cousin's stepdad escaped the fire, but she believes her cousin Yolaine Diaz and her cousin's mother got trapped inside and died.
"Unfortunately, now she's gone," Ylka Diaz said.
Yolaine Diaz worked as a journalist for People en Español.
"Since a little girl, she dreams to be a journalist," said Carlos Mejia, who called Yolaine Diaz one of his closest friends.
He said Yolaine Diaz left the Dominican Republic as a teen and chased her dream.
"She came here as an immigrant," he said, "and she proved ... that everybody is capable to achieve what they want."
Mejia said Yolaine Diaz loved beauty, fashion and traveling. He described her as the soul of the party, and a friend who lived her life to the fullest.
"We need to celebrate her life," he said. "She will be happy for us to be happy about her journey and about the time that we shared with her."
Tenants still displaced
The FDNY said the initial call came in for a blaze on the second floor of the six-floor walk-up at 207 Dyckman.
Residents describe fleeing for their lives, some with nothing but the clothes on their backs.
One tenant, who asked only to be identified by her first name, Lilian, described the situation as traumatizing.
"We ended up bruised and battered because we were all trying to get out at the exact same time in a desperate bid to save our lives. Everything got thrown out the window," Lilian said in Spanish. "And we took quite a beating getting out through that back window."
She said she has lived at the property for two years.
As of Tuesday afternoon, tenants at 208 Dyckman were not able to return home, and the Red Cross was providing assistance and immediate temporary relocation.
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