It s been his home for close to a decade. It is the same home where his children grew up. I am frightened to speak to you. I still live in an illegally converted house. Illegally converted homes are virtual firetraps, said John Kiernan, a firefighter from Jackson Heights .
Most units have one exit and no sprinklers.
Usually a tangled maze of wires riddles the corridors within. An electrical short or a careless smoker could turn the building into a blazing inferno - the kind that Meede s loved ones died in. Roshni Abayasekara Kiernan worked for the fire department for more than 20 years. Basically in order to secure themselves in these illegal occupancies they put in additional locks, not only to protect themselves from the people outside but to protect themselves from the people inside, too. These people are prisoners of their own homes.