By Omar Muñoz
Dominican journalist Yolaine Díaz, a well-known figure in Hispanic journalism in New York, died in the fire that consumed a six-story building at 207 Dyckman Avenue, in the Inwood neighborhood, during the early hours of Monday. His mother is also among the fatal victims of the accident, as confirmed to this newspaper by colleagues and people close to the family. Authorities have not yet officially identified the three deceased people.
Díaz, originally from Bonao, Dominican Republic, and based in The massive apple, made a career in some of the most read newspapers by the Hispanic audience in the United States. A graduate of Lehman College, part of the Metropolis College of Recent York (CUNY) in The Bronx, for years she served as fashion and beauty editor at Folks en Español, where she covered red carpets, awards shows such as the Grammys, and trend reports aimed at the Latino audience.
Her byline also appeared in Ebony, Us Weekly and NewBeauty en Español. More recently she worked as a freelancer and maintained an active community of 44 thousand followers on Instagram, under the profile @chicwantedny, where she wrote about fashion, beauty, travel and lifestyle.
In an interview in 2020 with the United States Embassy in the Dominican Republic, during National Hispanic Heritage Month, Díaz said that working on a magazine of that scope filled him with pride because it allowed him to represent his country “with dignity and respect.”
The fire was reported at 12:35 a.m. Monday in the common hallway on the first floor of the building, according to the FDNY, and spread quickly up the only interior staircase, reaching eight apartments on different floors and reaching the ceiling. More than 192 firefighters and emergency personnel responded to the three-alarm incident, which was brought under control at 3 a.m. Three people died and five others were hospitalized in critical condition. In total, 14 people were treated by emergency services, including a firefighter with minor injuries. The Red Cross registered 30 households, with a total of 71 people, for emergency assistance. The New York Department of Buildings issued a complete evacuation order for the property.
At 12:35 am Monday, the FDNY bought a requirement a hearth at 207 Dyckman Avenue in The massive apple. Devices arrived inner three minutes and noticed fire on the predominant ground of the six-yarn building. Members additionally noticed several folks making an attempt to exit the building by approach of the fire escapes.… pic.twitter.com/S33bWsPpzP
— FDNY (@FDNY) May per chance well 4, 2026
FDNY Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore stressed during a press conference the call to close the doors when evacuating a burning building. At Dyckman’s property, apartments whose residents locked their doors as they fled suffered minimal damage. The homes that were left open received the brunt of the fire and smoke. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
For the Hispanic journalism community in New York, Yolaine Díaz was a reference in fashion, beauty and entertainment, a voice that for years accompanied journalism focused on the Spanish-speaking audience in the country. His death has generated expressions of regret among colleagues and people close to his professional career.
The NY Journal He joins the sorrow of the family and the community of journalists who knew his work.
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