1 killed, 17 injured in New York City apartment fire

NEW YORK — One person was killed and 17 were injured in a fire that broke out in a New York City apartment building, leaving some residents trapped on the fire escape on Friday.

Twelve people were taken to area hospitals, and four were in critical condition, officials said at a news conference. One person, whose identity has not yet been released, was also in critical condition at the scene but died at the hospital, said Joseph Pfeifer, the fire department’s first deputy commissioner.

The New York City Fire Department responded to a fire that started on the third floor of a six-story residential building at 2 St. Nicholas Place in Harlem shortly after 2 p.m., sending flames and heavy smoke billowing into the hallway and trapping residents above, Pfeifer said.

Upon arrival, officials found numerous residents on the building’s fire escapes. There were also people trapped, hanging from fifth-floor windows, department head John Hodgens said. Three firefighters were lowered from the roof using a rope to rescue them.

“We normally have one every year or two. This was three in one fire,” said Hodgens. “A very heroic action, and all those people are unfortunately in critical condition, but they are in hospital.”

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.