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NEW YORK (FOX5NY) - More than a hundred firefighters responded to a fire of an apartment building in Manhattan Thursday evening.
The fire broke out on the 3rd floor of 515 West 59 Street near 10 Avenue and spread to the floor above, the FDNY said. Heavy smoke remained in the building later in the evening.
FDNY Chief of Department James Leonard said the fire incinerated a one-bedroom apartment. He said firefighters responded within five minutes of receiving the call to find no one inside the apartment where they believe the fire started.
Seventeen civilians suffered varying degrees of smoke inhalation. Two were in critical condition and four others in potentially serious condition. Four firefighters also sustained injuries.
"One of them is seriously burned, from Ladder 35, and he is presently at the burn center at Cornell University," Leonard said.
All four windows in the destroyed third-floor apartment were shattered, letting in strong winds that stoked the flames and led 175 firefighters and paramedics to gather on scene.
"We think everyone's been accounted for but the operation does continue," Leonard said.