A fire originating in the compactor chute of a 35-story high-rise apartment building in the Harlem area of New York City caused the deaths of seven building residents. Several code enforcement and fire department operational problems may have contributed to the loss. The U.S. Fire Administration had planned to investigate this fire because of its many important lessons but would only do so with the express permission of appropriate authority. The Fire Department of New York (FDNY) requested that the investigation be delayed until a preliminary internal investigation was completed.