Inwood fire leaves 3 dead, 14 hurt after flames engulf NYC apartment building

Three people died and more than a dozen were hurt after a large fire broke out early Monday morning at an apartment building in Inwood in Upper Manhattan.

The FDNY said the call came in around 12:30 a.m. for a blaze on the second floor of a six-floor walk-up on Dyckman Street between Broadway and Vermilyea Avenue. 

A total of 14 people were treated by EMS, including one firefighter with minor injuries. Five people were taken to the hospital in severe condition, according to FDNY officials.

More than 190 fire and EMS personnel responded to the three-alarm fire. Video showed flames seen in the distance as fire trucks rushed to the scene. Firefighters were seen inspecting units and breaking windows.

Some residents who made it out through windows and fire escapes. 

One resident named Rita Vega described being woken up to the sounds of the fire alarm and people screaming.

"I mean, it's harrowing, right? Because even though we're on the second floor, it feels 100, you know, floors up," she said. "Everyone's scared to come down. But like, we came down, and we were just letting our neighbors know, like, hey, come down. You're safe."

"This fire was a very serious fire. It unfortunately resulted in many patients," said Fire Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore.

Bonsignore stressed that it's important for residents in buildings to close doors if a fire breaks out. 

"The apartments that had the doors closed had very little impact, no fire. The apartments that had doors open had more impact, more fire," she said. 

Fire Chief John Espotito said there are about 100 people displaced. The Red Cross is helping 16 families.