'Everything was burning': 5-alarm blaze engulfs walk-up in the heart of SoHo

'Everything was burning': 5-alarm blaze engulfs walk-up in the heart of SoHo

Ken Murray/New York Daily News

Firefighters battled a five-alarm blaze in SoHo Thursday night for over two hours.

An arsonist set a deadly five-alarm fire after a fight with his wife Thursday night and then fought to keep firefighters out of his blazing Manhattan apartment building, police and sources said.

As the fire raged, one person died and tragically was later found on a third-floor fire escape.

The body belonged to an adult who was “burned beyond recognition,” NYPD spokesman Paul Browne said.

Cops at the 5th Precinct stationhouse were calling the fiery death a homicide. It appeared the victim wasn’t involved in the dispute.

Cop sources identified the alleged firebug as Wei Wu, a 45-year-old unemployed man. They said neighbors told them Wu has been out of work for at least six months and his unemployment is the spark for frequent arguments with his wife. Thursday night was no exception.

“I’m going to light this fire and die with you,” cop sources said neighbors reported hearing Wu shout to his wife before torching the building.

As the flames raged for three hours at 41 Spring St. in Nolita, Wu, who allegedly set the inferno in the hall outside his second-floor apartment, was arrested after blocking the doorway of the five-story building, cops said.

He was trying to keep people from going inside and being hurt, according to police.

“He had a bloody shirt, a black eye and he was barefoot,” said local resident William Bray, 25, who saw Wu being led away by cops.

Two civilians and seven firefighters suffered minor injuries. Wu broke the hand of a cop while resisting arrest, authorities said.

Wu’s wife and child were unharmed.

The couple was being questioned at the 5th Precinct stationhouse Thursday night. Browne said the pair have no known history of domestic incidents.

The blaze erupted around 6:42 p.m., and about 200 firefighters battled it while hundreds of onlookers snapped photos on their cell phones.

Vincent Gutierrez, a 44-year-old visiting firefighter from Los Angeles, said he saw smoke seeping from a third-floor window and rushed into the building to help.

“I only got halfway up the stairwell,” he said. “Flames were spreading up the walls . . . Everything was burning.”

The father of three said he retreated to the sidewalk for a moment but ran back inside after hearing a woman scream for help. But thick smoke blocked his path, he said.

“I wanted to help,” he said. “But I couldn’t. I felt terrible.”

With Daniel Beekman