Fatal Yonkers fire likely caused by electric heating lamp to grow marijuana

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YONKERS – The early Wednesday fire in a seven-story Yonkers apartment building that claimed the life of one resident was likely started by an electric hearing lamp used to cultivate six marijuana plants that a resident was growing for personal adult-use, city officials said on Friday.

The fire started in a first-floor apartment. A 67-year-old resident, identified as Michael Damiano, a resident of the fourth floor, succumbed to injuries from the fire.

Dozens of firefighters and several residents suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

“The tragedy of this incident is compounded by how avoidable it was,” said Fire Commissioner Chris Sapienza. “We have seen before how dangerous these high-powered devices can be and without regulations or guidelines to protect the public, people are unnecessarily being placed at risk – marijuana laws need to be fixed, be it cultivation or smoke shops; our communities demand it.”




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