A raging kitchen fire ripped through a luxury high-rise on the Upper East Side early Tuesday, injuring 26 people, including a 1-week-old baby and four firefighters, officials and witnesses said.
The blaze initially erupted inside the kitchen of an apartment on the 24th floor of 41-story condominium at 515 East 72nd shortly before 2 a.m., but quickly spread, thanks to an open apartment door, officials said.
The two occupants of the apartment where the fire started tried to flee, but passed out inside, leaving the front door open and allowing flames to tear through the hallway and thick smoke to engulf the building near York Avenue, according to officials.
Firefighters arrived on scene within three minutes and found the pair unconscious inside the apartment. They were taken to NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center in critical condition.