A 24-year-old man has been arrested.

10:54, Tue, Jun 23, 2026 Updated: 10:56, Tue, Jun 23, 2026

The blaze at The Knights Inn in New York

The blaze at The Knights Inn in New York (Image: Endwell Fire)

A 24-year-old man has been arrested after a fire ripped through a motel in New York, killing six people and forcing a number of others from their accommodation. Tyler J. Russell was taken into custody following the blaze at the Knights Inn motel on East Main Street in Endwell, New York, which broke out at around 6.01am local time on Monday, June 22.

In a statement, New York State Police (NYSP) said Russell has been charged with six counts of second-degree manslaughter, a class C felony, as well as one count of fourth-degree arson, a class E felony. Authorities have not disclosed what led to Russell's arrest. Police said six people died in the fire. The identities of the victims have not yet been released publicly. Several other people were displaced as a result of the blaze and are being assisted by the Red Cross. Many of those affected have been provided with temporary accommodation at Vestal United Methodist Church, according to police.

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Pick up truck parked outside of motel on fire

Six people died after a fire tore through the Knights Inn motel in Endwell, New York State (Image: Endwell Fire)

Describing the scene encountered by emergency crews, NYSP said the Endwell Fire Department "arrived to find heavy black smoke in the front of the building and flames showing from the rear of the building".

The force added that "the fire spread rapidly".

A number of agencies responded to the incident, including the New York State Office of Fire, the Broome County Office of Emergency Service and the Broome County Mobile Crisis Response Team.

They were supported by the Broome County Sheriff's Department, the Broome County Executive, the Town of Union Supervisor and other emergency responders.

Police said the Red Cross is currently accepting donations of clothing and hygiene products for those impacted by the fire. However, officials said Vestal United Methodist Church is not accepting food donations at this time.

Motel damage after the fire

The fire spread rapidly through the motel, killing six people and displacing several others (Image: Endwell Fire)

The cause of the blaze remains under investigation.

New York State Police said inquiries into the incident are continuing.