14 police officers hurt while helping residents escape Bronx apartment fire
WAKEFIELD, Bronx (WABC) -- Fourteen police officers were injured while helping residents escape a fire that tore through an apartment building in the Bronx late Tuesday.
The fire broke out around 11 p.m. in a building on Baychester Avenue in the Wakefield section.
The officers rushed into the building and began knocking on doors, alerting residents and assisting their evacuation.
NYPD Chief of Department Terrance Monahan tweeted his congratulations to the officers involved for their life-saving efforts.
Officials said they knocked on approximately 70 doors, and no serious injuries were reported among the residents.
The officers were treated for smoke inhalation at a local hospital and released.
Two families were left homeless, and one resident was treated for asthma that was aggravated by the smoke.
Investigators believe the fire may have been caused by an unattended candle.
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