A fast-moving fire engulfed a six-story apartment building in Manhattan’s Inwood neighborhood early Monday, claiming three lives and leaving more than a dozen others injured, including five in critical condition, officials said.

The blaze erupted on the first floor of the building on Dyckman Street at approximately 12:30 a.m. and rapidly consumed the structure’s sole stairwell, trapping residents on upper floors and forcing desperate evacuations via fire escapes.

Nearly 200 first responders converged on the scene to find multiple residents fleeing in panic. The fire ultimately spread across eight apartments before firefighters contained it.

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

FDNY Chief John Esposito described the structural vulnerability that complicated rescue efforts. “There is one single stairway in this building; the fire was consuming it from the first floor to the roof,” he said, underscoring how the building’s limited egress routes endangered occupants attempting to escape.

At least 14 people sustained injuries from smoke inhalation, burns and other fire-related trauma. Five of those injured remain hospitalized in critical condition.

The fire displaced roughly 100 residents from the building. Many lost their homes and belongings in the blaze, with the full extent of property damage still being assessed.

Fire officials have launched an investigation into the cause of the fire, which remains undetermined.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)