Blocked Hydrant, Lost Life And Brooklyn Fire Tragedy Ignites Demand for Smarter Parking Solutions

A frost-bitten chill in the air, snow-covered sidewalks on a still Sunday morning, sirens  disturbed the dreams of Bay Ridge. Two alarms went off when a fire raged from a three-story apartment building in Brooklyn. The quiet residential neighborhood was engulfed in chaos when large flames sparked from 510 80th Street, third floor. The emergency response triggered 12 fire trucks and 60 firefighters and they arrived with blaring sirens down 80th Street. They were quick to respond but slow to rescue. They were blocked from the fire hydrant by illegally parked vehicles. 

Rescue operations lasted for approximately an hour until the flames were under control, when Gregory Fernandez, his wife, and son were pulled from the apartment. They were all rushed to NYU Langone Hospital to receive treatment. While Fernandez’s wife and son sustained only minor injuries. Gregory Fernandez died because of his injuries later that morning. Fernandez, a retired Navy Veteran, worked for the Department of Veterans Affairs for four years and was the newly hired basketball coach at St. Ephrem Catholic Academy in Dyker Heights. He died the day before his first day on the job. 

Residents gathered at the scene worried about the abrupt spark of flames that engulfed their tranquil neighborhood and the loss of life of a neighbor. “You can’t believe that so suddenly something like that could happen so fast,” Nesy Orosio told CBS News. “When he would see me in the streets, he would say, ‘Hi. Hello.’”

Gregory Fernandez’s death left the Bay Ridge community fearful for their safety and concerned about the disregard for the city’s parking rules. By the time the fire was under control, rescuers were too late, and Fernandez’s life was quickly fading. 

The fire department stressed its concern for the community when quick access to the hydrant, a  vital water source, was blocked.  They pointed out that the tragedy could have been prevented if  car owners had just parked 15 feet away. 

For years, New York City has struggled with the effectiveness of regulating parking, which has been a growing concern for residents demanding stricter solutions to this crisis. Some demand the answers to these questions, “Could stricter enforcement of parking laws, or redesigning the city’s infrastructure, reduce these dangerous delays? And in a city with over two million cars but insufficient parking spaces, what can be done to ensure fire hydrants are clear? 

The Fernandez family’s loss is a shocking reminder that the small acts of neglect, like parking in front of a hydrant, can escalate into devastating outcomes. This is a story about a system that is failing to protect its citizens, and a question that concerns many: What effective solutions can the city implement to prevent tragedies like this from happening again?

Neighbors see charred brick windows covered in ash, blocked by wooden planks. 

Leo, a 54-year-old neighborhood resident who didn’t want to give his last name, was shocked by the news of Gregory Fernandez’s passing. “I feel bad for the man that died, I knew him,” he said. “I rent the apartments above him, and I would often see his wife with their two dogs almost daily.”

Leo sighed at the tragedy while he believes finding parking in Bay Ridge is a hopeless task. As a car owner, he struggles to find parking. He recalled circling and looking for a spot that took more than 20 minutes to find. He is well aware of the city’s parking regulations, which prohibits parking within 15 feet of a fire hydrant on either side.“People don’t want to park there, but what else can we do”? 

There is an alternative to street parking not far from the building where Fernandez died. Bay Ridge Municipal parking garage, located between 85th and 86th streets, costs $300 a month for a spot that is too expensive for many. And it only has 205 spaces for vehicles. Leo said, “People decide whether they should pay $ 300 or risk getting one or two tickets a month.”

Beyond Bay Ridge and Brooklyn, fire hydrant violations have been a widespread concern for the city for years, and all five boroughs have failed to escape this parking violation pandemic. In 2024, City Hall reported 652,000 hydrant violations issued by the NYPD and documented 133,585 calls to 311 customer service noted under “Blocked Hydrants”. 

For now, the City urges New Yorkers to call 311 to report blocked hydrants, but even with 133,585 documented calls, few have been resolved. The cars remained parked in the same spots even when the report was marked as “resolved”. 

In May, City Council Minority Leader Joann Ariola drafted two bills that would impose harsher penalties as well as automatic summons to those who parked at fire hydrants. One proposed law would raise the fine from $115 to $1,000. “We have seen two fires in the past week that have resulted in fatalities where the firefighters were unable to access the closest fire hydrant to that fire,” said Ariola, according to the New York Post. 

But in Bay Ridge, Leo questions whether the hefty fines will deter people. “There is a lack of space, and even if the price is higher, people are still going to do it”.