Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Five-Alarm Fire Caused By Voodoo Sex Ritual Gone Wrong
By
Ben Yakas
Published Feb 25, 2011
Modified Feb 25, 2011
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Ben Yakas
Published Feb 25, 2011
Modified Feb 25, 2011
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Over the weekend, a deadly five-alarm fire broke out in a six-floor East Flatbush apartment building, killing one and injuring dozens. It was a particularly damaging fire, because high winds created a "blowtorch effect," causing part of the roof and fourth floor to collapse. Police have finally identified the cause of the fire which left 100 people homeless: a voodoo sex ritual.
Sources tell the dallies that a woman paid a voodoo priest in the building $300 to perform a mystical ceremony that would bring her luck. The voodoo priest spread candles around the bed, and the couple started having sex—while mid-coitus, the candles accidentally fell over, igniting the bed sheets and their discarded clothing. Instead of calling 911, a man in the room (either the voodoo priest or his assistant, there are conflicting reports) tried to douse it with water from the sink; a man then opened both a window and the apt. door, which is what caused the blowtorch effect which then engulfed the whole building, and led to the death of retired 62-year-old guidance counselor Mary Feagin.
FDNY Commissioner Sal Cassano left out the black magic part when he spoke to reporters about the tragic incident, which took nearly 200 firefighters and almost seven hours to bring under control: "Time and time again we respond to tragedies that could have been so easily prevented. This fire had so many of those elements -- candles left on the floor near combustible material, one of the occupants trying to douse the flames before calling 911 and an open door, which allowed fire to spread into the hallway. Hopefully others will learn from this tragedy." The firefighters' union has also suggested that staffing cuts from the city contributed to the delay in response.
Tagged
black magic
death
fire
five alarm
ritualistic
sex
tragedy
voodoo
Ben Yakas
Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Tompkins Square Park is getting a makeover. Some say it's too much.
Some regulars at the East Village park want to preserve its not-so-fancy offerings.
By
Willow Higgins
Published Oct 17, 2026 at 7:00 a.m. ET
Deer are all over New Jersey roads looking for sex, state officials warn
Mid-October through mid-December is deer mating season, which can be a danger to drivers as the sex-seeking creatures cross roadways throughout the Garden State.
By
Rosemary Misdary
News
Deer are all over New Jersey roads looking for sex, state officials warn
Mid-October through mid-December is deer mating season, which can be a danger to drivers as the sex-seeking creatures cross roadways throughout the Garden State.
By
Rosemary Misdary
Man messaged 'I got straight poison' before giving NYC college students fentanyl, feds say
By
Samantha Max
Inside the plan to fix the nearly collapsed Pfizer Building, 1/64th of an inch at a time
By
David Brand
School bus carrying autistic students got lost in Brooklyn for 4 hours last year
By
Jessica Gould
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .