Firefighters battle a blaze at a partially completed apartment building on 91st Street between Third and Fourth Avenues, June 1929.

The New York Times reported that "a great crowd watched the apartment house fire" on 91st Street. The apartment building was unoccupied when fire was first spotted by a police officer, late in the afternoon of June 2. However, high winds caused the blaze to spread:

"Sparks swept on a stiff wind ignited a garage across the street and started roof fires, all trifling, in three frame dwellings in the vicinity.

Embers were carried a quarter of a mile to the Army reservation at Fort Hamilton. A one-story warehouse of the Quartermaster Corps took fire and was burned."

While firefighters fought the spread of flames, a 91st Street resident prevailed in gaining access to her imperiled home in order to recover certain valuables:

"The police ordered the Seatti family to stay out of the house. Mrs. Robert Brandon, however, a tenant, insisted that valuable securities must be rescued. Firemen finally accompanied Mrs. Brandon to her quarters and she came out with the securities. They consisted of $10 and two strawberry shortcakes she had made for her son's birthday party."