Fire Rips Through Cluttered Apartment In Hell's Kitchen Apartment Building
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- It was a scary sight in Hell's Kitchen Wednesday afternoon, when an extra-alarm fire broke out in an 11th-story apartment.
As CBS2's Tracee Carrasco reported, crews as of 5 p.m. were still trying to determine the cause of the fire at the Hudsonview Terrace building, at 747 Tenth Ave. at 51st Street.
Cellphone video showed the orange flames and heavy black smoke pouring out of the apartment around 1:45 p.m. The fire was raised to a second alarm.
The FDNY said once firefighters arrived, they found Collyer Mansion conditions -- massive amounts of clutter inside the apartment fueling the fire.
The resident of the apartment was taken out with minor smoke inhalation. A second person also suffered minor injuries in the blaze.
Meanwhile, the fire shut down the neighborhood as the FDNY put out the flames.
"There was a lot of thick black smoke; a lot of firefighters. I just tried to remain calm, and I just texted my roommate; said it looks like they're not going to let us in anytime soon," said resident Shannon Allan.
"It was in the balcony on the 11th floor, and black smoke was coming out, so we were all concerned," said resident America Borda. "The Fire Department came immediately."
By 5 p.m., the fire was out and residents had been let back into the building.
The FDNY said the building is fireproof, and reiterated the importance of "sheltering in place." They said the danger is outside of the apartment on fire and in the stairwells.
The FDNY residents should call 911 and let them know you are inside. Residents should then stay put and wait for firefighters to come to them.
In addition to the resident of the apartment -- one other person suffered minor injuries. There was no word late Wednesday on what caused the fire.
The term "Collyer Mansion conditions" used to describe the apartment that caught fire refers to wealthy brothers Homer and Langley Collyer, who lived together in a Harlem mansion surrounded by items they had collected obsessively. Ultimately, Langley Collyer was killed by a booby trap in the house, while Homer Collyer starved to death, in 1947.
