Monday will mark one year since a fire at a Bronx apartment complex claimed the lives of 17 people, including eight children.

On Jan. 9, 2022, a fire sparked by an electric space heater inside a second-floor apartment at the Twin Parks North West apartment complex quickly escalated to one of the worst tragedies in Bronx history.

Fire officials would later reveal that doors inside the building, which were meant to automatically close, had malfunctioned, allowing for an enormous volume of smoke to flood the building, escalating the situation.

In addition to the deaths, more than 60 people were injured and dozens were displaced from the 19-story complex, officials said.

Now, a year later, Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson said progress is being made.

“I definitely think a year has allowed us to learn. We've turned pain into purpose and our storm into strength,” Gibson said during an appearance on “Mornings On 1” Friday.

“I think as a city we are much better. We have a much coordinated approach. And our office has made a series of recommendations to the Adams administration about disaster preparedness and emergency preparedness from hotel services, food services, you know, evacuation sites – so many things have had to come together,” she added. “We were learning and leading at the same time because there's no manual on what to do in the event of a five-alarm fire. But I think at the end of the day, we have learned a lot.”

She said the city has especially learned to hold landlords – and local governments – accountable for housing inspections, as many of the families living inside the apartment complex had no heating, no hot water and poor window insulation, resulting in the need to constantly run space heaters or leave ovens running.

“That’s unacceptable and since that time, we've made a tremendous level of progress,” Gibson said.

The Bronx borough president said she was able to visit Twin Parks recently and said the complex has been transformed since last year.

“You would never believe that there was a fire there. It was all surreal and emotional for me to be there knowing that this is where families were running for their lives, and we lost children and adults and so many family members. But management has done a tremendous job with renovations: new lighting fixtures, they are replacing the fire alarm system and they're really making significant progress,” Gibson said.

However, she does note that since the fire, a large number of residents have permanently relocated, and those who stayed still struggle with trauma from the tragedy. She said her office, though, has been sure to send help when needed, and is regularly following up with the community to offer counseling.

Gibson said the community is still working to heal, but will come together again Monday to honor those who lost their lives in the fire.