Several Hurt In Fire At Hell's Kitchen High-Rise Building
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Several people were hurt after a small fire broke out at a high-rise apartment building in the Hell's Kitchen section of Manhattan.
The fire was reported around 7 a.m. Thursday in the mezzanine area of the 60-story Silver Towers on West 42nd Street between 11th and 12th avenues.
FDNY Deputy Assistant Chief Roger Sakowich said people were running out of the building when firefighters arrived and there was a treacherous smoke condition.
"We had numerous calls for smoke, people trapped in their apartments, when they opened their doors the hallways and the stairways were full of smoke, even as far up as the 60th floor," he said.
Firefighters had to climb the stairs in the oppressive heat to reach residents after power was out in the north tower, CBS2's Esha Ray reported.
Some residents claimed they did not hear any alarms in the building, 1010 WINS' Juliet Papa reported.
"The fire department came knocking on everyone's door," a woman who lives on the second floor said. "The smoke was very strong."
"I think what made matters worse was that the building didn't have any alarms going off inside of it so there was no indication of what was going on besides that we smelled smoke and we heard fire engines outside the building," a man who lives on the 49th floor said.
Some people were rescued out of fourth floor windows, and paramedics stayed with a mother and her 8-week-old baby until carbon monoxide levels were low enough to get them out.
Eight minor injuries were reported.
The cause of the fire is not known.
West 42nd Street was closed between 10th and 12th avenues, and southbound No. 6 trains were running express from 125th Street to Grand Central because of the smoke.
