City fire department officials said two people, including a firefighter, were seriously hurt Sunday afternoon after an unattended candle sparked a fire in an apartment building in Upper Manhattan.
“We opened up the door to the front and we saw the smoke just started to hurl in,” said a resident describing being overcome with black smoke before having to run down a fire escape. “We were like, ‘Ok, time to get out!'”
It happened around 12:05 p.m. on West 163rd St. near Broadway in Washington Heights.
Flames broke out in apartment on the building’s second floor of the building, but firefighters searched the entire building and were able to contain the blaze to the apartment, officials said.
Officials said the fire was accidental, and that the person in the apartment fled, leaving the door open. That allowed wind to fan the flames and spread smoke.
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