The Bronx Fire: Systems of Neglect
An investigation into the structural failures and neglect that contributed to one of New York City’s deadliest fires in decades.
Collaborator: The New York Times
Role: Graphics/Multimedia Editor
On January 9, 2022, a fire in a Bronx high-rise claimed the lives of 17 New York City residents. None of the victims died from burns; all succumbed to smoke inhalation, many from several floors above the fire’s origin. A New York Times investigation — drawing on floor plans, witness videos, 911 calls, and city documents — traced the smoke’s path from ignition to containment. It revealed a building constructed before modern fire safety codes, lacking sprinklers or automatic fail-safes, and reliant on a containment strategy that failed catastrophically.
In partnership with engineering experts at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, a Fire Dynamics Simulator was used to model how smoke rose rapidly through the stairwells, turning them into vertical chimneys. Peeling back the apartment complex floor by floor, the viewer is guided through a moment-by-moment reconstruction of the fire. The result was the newsroom’s longest and most immersive 3D visual to date, illustrating how smoke, not flames, proved to be the deadliest factor.
The story went on to become a finalist for the 2023 Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News.
Update: In the aftermath, New York passed legislation mandating stricter enforcement of self-closing door requirements.