NEW YORK (PIX11) -- A three-alarm fire sent residents running Monday afternoon when a fire sparked in their Marble Hill Avenue apartment building.
According to fire officials, the fire started shortly after 2:15 p.m., under the stairs on the first floor. It then quickly spread to all four floors, shooting up a wooden staircase in the middle of the building.
Abigail Grubb was on a work video call when she smelled smoke.
“I literally opened all the windows and tried to buy as much time as I could,” said Abigail Grubb, who escaped from her fourth-floor apartment.
She was forced to leave without her beloved cat, Walter.
“He slipped out of my hands, and then he ran under the bed,” said Grubb. The smoke was so bad at that point that I couldn’t breathe, I couldn’t see, so I just had to leave without him.”
Grubb said she managed to help her downstairs neighbors, who live with mobility issues. They struggled to climb onto their fire escape through a window that would not stay open.
“I stayed as long as I could, holding that window up to get them out,” said Grubb. “I wanted to make sure that at least they got out okay.”
Neighbors also raced in to help.
“I didn’t hesitate,” said Juanita Sanders. “I started screaming, telling everybody it was fire.”
“I started helping people come down from their fire escape, carrying animals, carrying belongings,” said Gina Christoforetus. “It was really scary.”
Resident Emily Lemp was at work when the fire started. Firefighters managed to rescue her guinea pig, Goose.
“I feel much better knowing that he’s safe,” said Lemp. “I’m gonna figure out how he’s coming with me, wherever we’re going.”
The Red Cross is helping to assist displaced residents. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
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