Flames and smoke filled a Harlem apartment building overnight, forcing some residents into the cold.
The fire broke out around 2:15 a.m. at a building on Bradhurst Avenue near West 145th Street. Officials said it started on the fifth floor and took firefighters over an hour to get under control. Some residents told CBS2’s Reena Roy a candle may have been to blame.
“It started with a small flame, then we tried to take it off, throw some water on it. But as soon as we threw the second bucket on it, the flames just got bigger,” one man said.
“We all were running down, everybody tried to evacuate everybody,” added Brian Aguirre. “The glass started falling down with the flames, and I cut myself in my leg, my toes.”
The official cause of the fire is still under investigation.
In the meantime, residents are waiting to see how bad the damage is, while the Red Cross helps with temporary housing.