Towering Inferno In NYC

November 13, 2003 -- A kitchen fire forced evacuation of a Broadway-area restaurant and parts of the skyscraper above it yesterday. No injuries were reported, authorities said.

Heavy smoke and flames spread from Martini's, 870 Seventh Ave. near 53rd Street, to upper floors of the building at about 3 p.m., witnesses said.

The smoke flooded other businesses in the building that shared air ducts with the restaurant.

"There was a lot of smoke. The whole shop was full of smoke," said Andy Vasilatos, who works in the 810 Deli Cafe, in the building.

"It looked like the whole building was on fire," he said.

But only the first three floors of the office building appeared to suffer any significant damage.

Witnesses said more than a dozen firefighters pumped water down the air ducts and quickly knocked out the fire.

"We were flooded in here," said Vasilatos, 26.

The fire may have spread from a stove in the kitchen of the 9-year-old Martini's, Fire Department officials said.