The fire was reported at 7:38 a.m. at a 12-story building at 145 West 45th Street near Times Square.
Smoke billowed from the building as firefighters battled a fire in the duct work.
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The FDNY says the fire was placed under control about an hour later. One person was seriously hurt while two others suffered minor injuries.
It is a mixed commercial use building with 20 residential apartments. There is a small hotel next door.
The fire apparenty began in the duct work of a restaurant's kitchen.
Guests at the hotel were forced out of their rooms. "We were on the 38th floor and she said we've got to get out of here because she saw a lot of smoke," said Becky Howell. "So we walked down 38 flights of stairs and it was still going as we were going down."
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