Toshanda Staples, 22, and her son, Amiad, suffered severe burns when they were trapped around 6 a.m. in the basement apartment of their two-story Park Avenue house, one of several units created through illegal subdivisions.
Firefighters rescued Amiad, who was pinned between a mattress and a basement wall with Staples' friend.
"I thought they were dead," said firefighter Steven Troche, who carried the woman up a narrow staircase after handing the child to another firefighter.
Residents said Staples had gotten into a fistfight yesterday morning with a former tenant, who lost and promised revenge.
"She was sending text messages to people saying, you should sleep with one eye open," said Staples' sister Amarie Rodriguez.
The former tenant was being questioned by fire marshals yesterday.
Republished with permission of The New York Post
