Fire broke out in a third floor apartment on the corner of W50th Street and 9th Avenue at around 1:20am this morning. The blaze quickly engulfed the five-story walkup building above Rancho Tequileria restaurant.
Authorities say an 83-year-old woman was sleeping in her fifth-story apartment when the flames broke out around 1am. The woman, and multiple other residents, were seen being carried off to safety in a cherry picker.
It took over an hour for firefighters to control the blaze, which spread to the fourth and fifth floors of the building. Flames were seen shooting out of many windows in the building.
FDNY said that three residents were rescued and taken to hospital with minor injuries. Three firefighters also went to hospital, but their injuries were not critical. All are expected to recover. Firefighters brought residents to safety using a tower ladder.
The cause of the fire is still unclear and is under investigation by FDNY.