April 27, 2005 -- Three residents of a Kips Bay apartment building were overcome by smoke when a fire broke out inside a 12th-floor apartment of the high-rise yesterday.
They were in a hallway of 480 Second Ave. at East 28th Street when the blaze erupted shortly after 3 p.m. They were treated for smoke inhalation at Bellevue Hospital, Fire Chief John Jonas said. Their injuries were not considered serious.
Israel Diaz, 34, who was on the balcony of a nearby building, said he heard a "big boom" and saw "flames coming out of it like crazy."
"We called 911 so it wouldn't spread. It started small but before you know it, flames were everywhere," Diaz said.
Firefighters were able to confine the blaze to the one apartment, officials said. Two occupants of the apartment managed to flee without injury.
The fire was put out in a little over an hour but there was "significant damage" to the apartment, Jonas said.
The cause was under investigation.
