Women Escape Burning N.Y. Building

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Nov. 23--ALBANY Two women escaped their burning building Tuesday night only after an officer on patrol noticed the smoke, climbed their fire escape and broke their window to alert them to the blaze.

Officer Adam Kalbfliesh, assigned to the Center Station, noticed the smoke coming from the roof of 83 Henry Johnson Boulevard and couldn't tell if anyone was inside the two-family house. He climbed the fire escape to the south side of the second floor and broke a window with a small board, police said.

Kalbfliesh then yelled and got the attention of a resident, Jackie Griffin, and told her the house was on fire and she should get out immediately. Griffin made her way down the building's back stairs and alerted Joyce Mason, who lives on the building's first floor.

Both women made it out of the building safely, police said, and the Albany Fire Department had the fire under control in about 20 minutes. The fire's cause is under investigation and the occupants of the home were relocated.