Sadly, yesterday young playwright Daniel McClung lost his life when an apartment in the New York City high rise where he resided caught on fire, caused by an overloaded extension cord.
This story is made even sadder by the fact that had McClung and his husband remained in their apartment they would not have been harmed. Human nature, though, is to want to evacuate when something like a fire occurs. However this situation does bring to mind, once again, the importance of always having an escape plan in place. Maybe tenants/owners should even get together and work out options specific to their own buildings? Or maybe this was all in place already. Whatever the case, our condolences go out to McClung’s family and friends.
New Yorkers are actually fortunate enough to live in some of the world’s safest high rises, thanks to stringent codes. Read about it here. The New York City Fire Department also offers resources to help tenants in maintaining fire safety in their own homes, such as this set of guidelines.
Let’s all work together to stay safe, especially as the city of New York, and others throughout the country, endure the coldest weather in decades.
