NEW YORK — At least 19 people were killed in a fire at a Bronx apartment high-rise on East 181st Street on Sunday, including nine children, according to The New York Times. <br /> <br /> <br />The Commissioner of the New York City Fire Department said the fire was started by a malfunctioning space heater in a bedroom of a third-floor apartment at the building. <br /> <br /> <br />Once the fire spread through that apartment, those inside ran out, but left the door open as they did so. <br /> <br /> <br />Although this did not mean the fire spread far beyond the apartment, it helped fuel it and allowed the smoke to spread through the whole building, causing the fatalities. <br /> <br /> <br />Firefighters arrived within three minutes of the fire starting, just before 11 a.m., and a spokeswoman for the property owners said the fire alarm system was working, with no known issues with smoke detectors. <br /> <br /> <br />Several residents told The New York Times that the fire alarms were frequently triggered and as a result were often ignored. <br /> <br />
