By Associated Press - Thursday, January 4, 2018

NEW YORK (AP) - A 13th person has died from injuries suffered in one of New York City’s deadliest fires in decades.

Police say 27-year-old Holt Francis was critically injured in the Dec. 28 Bronx apartment building fire and died at a hospital on Thursday. They say the fire was caused by a 3-year-old boy playing with stove burners.

Francis’ wife, their two daughters and a niece also were killed in the fire.



Eight adults and five children died in the fire. Among them was 28-year-old Emmanuel Mensah, who rescued a number of people that night before going back into the burning building and dying of smoke inhalation.

Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro (NY’-groh) says the fire started on a stove and raced through a door and up five floors.

Copyright © 2026 The Washington Times, LLC.

Please read our comment policy before commenting.