The fire was quickly put out, but smoke spread throughout the six story building.
Eyewitness News is told the smoke forced dozens of residents, many of them women and children, to descend down the fire escape into the cold.
Many were seen hanging out windows and climbed onto the fire escapes before firefighters could get to them.
Firefighters helped a pregnant woman and carried several children down the ladders to the street.
Officials say one person sustained a non-life threatening injury. The other residents were treated at the scene for exposure to the elements.
A similar early morning fire struck the same building on Jan. 29, 2006, also forcing panicked residents to evacuate.
In that fire, a large number of children were also taken out of the building, but none were seriously injured.
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WEB PRODUCED BY: Lakisha Bostick & Mark Crudele
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