MANHATTAN, N.Y. (PIX11) -- An 80-year-old woman died after she was pulled from her burning apartment in Washington Heights Tuesday, police said.
Several others were injured in the fast-moving blaze on Edgecomb Avenue. The fire erupted in mid-morning, most residents were awake and managed to get out of the building safely.
Flames belching from the window of the 12th-floor apartment were quite visible when the fire broke out at 10 a.m. The fire quickly spread to the 13th floor where it consumed another apartment in the pre-war building.
“There was heavy fire in the apartment," said Deputy Chief James Donlevy. Fire units were on the scene within three minutes and encountered fierce conditions. “A lot of fire in there It was a hard time, but we got through it.”
Carmala Davis, who lives on the first floor and got out quickly, said, “It was pretty bad. It looked like a movie set with fire shooting out of the building, it was horrible.”
Davis stated she felt safe because the pre-war building was fireproof. “But by the same token,” she said, “I was worried about neighbors. Oh my god I hope they got out safely, they are elderly.”
The 80-year-old woman who died, lived in the apartment where the fire started.
Two firefighters sustained non-life-threatening injuries, along with two other residents who were taken to nearby hospitals.
About 100 firefighters responded to the two-alarm blaze which was out within an hour and a half.
The fire is not considered suspicious, but fire marshals are now on the scene trying to determine the cause of the fatal blaze.
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