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4-Alarm Fire Ravages Washington Heights Apartment Building
By
Jen Chung
Published Jan 24, 2013
Modified Jan 24, 2013
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By
Jen Chung
Published Jan 24, 2013
Modified Jan 24, 2013
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In last night's blistering cold, firefighters battled a huge fire that broke out on in a five-story building on Amsterdam Avenue near West 181st Street. Flames burst through windows during the inferno, which started around 8:15 p.m., but one person in a nearby building didn't realize that it was so serious. The neighbor told NBC New York that he shrugged off the fire at first because it smelled like "someone was burning toast," but later he and a friend were evacuated.
Over 150 firefighters responded to the scene as smoke made it difficult for them to find where the fire was located. WABC 7 reports, "Officials believe the fire started on the first floor, where there was a store that was under renovation. It quickly traveled up the walls to the top floor and through the roof."
There were minor injuries, including a civilian was apparently slipped "on ice resulting from the water being sprayed on the fire."
Here are videos of the scene—scary stuff, though not as dramatic as the frozen Chicago warehouse fire response.
View more videos at: http://nbcnewyork.com.
Tagged
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Washington Heights
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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