The fire broke out inside a building on West 107th Street and Amsterdam Avenue just before 8:30 a.m. Tuesday.
Flames could be seen shooting through the roof and top floor.
Fire burns through Upper West Side apartment
Three residents and three firefighters were taken to area hospitals with minor injuries.
"We had one occupant that we found on the top floor and our firefighters were able to walk that occupant down to the street and hand over to EMS," said Chief of Operations Kevin Woods, FDNY. "We had another occupant on the third floor that we walked down and handed to EMS."
The building is six stories and said to be a non-fireproof. The roof partially collapsed.
"We established a collapse zone so no one walks beneath that area because we anticipate further collapse of that cornice," Woods said.
Woods said that the FDNY had to work with the Department of Sanitation to spread salt on the sidewalk. Many people fell on the ice as water from the hose line froze on the ground.
The Red Cross said it is assisting 34 residents, including four children, from 17 households.
Later Tuesday evening, the Department of Buildings said it issued a full vacate order for the building due to significant fire damage throughout the structure.
No lives were lost, but families lost everything else.
"No phone. No medicine. No clothes. Nothing. Nothing," said resident Millie Marte.
For half a century, this was home for 70-year-old Marte.
As soon as she smelled smoke from her fourth-floor apartment, she banged on every door on the way down to warn neighbors.
"I go, 'get out, get out, get out. There's a fire. Get out,'" Marte said.
She spent the day at Ascension Roman Catholic Church just a few doors down. This is where she normally worships. This is where she put her neighbors before herself. As donations poured in, she helped them take what they needed as an entire building now pivots to temporary housing.
Alejandro Castro lived on the fifth floor and was able to escape safely.
"Coming from inside, screaming, 'come out right now, right now come.' They were sometimes paralyzed," Castro said.
Ascension Sunday School teacher Alex Ford donated chargers, toothbrushes and a bag of rubber duckies for a little smile.
"It's my neighbors. It's my community. When all else falls apart, all we have is each other," Ford said.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Meanwhile, Ascension Church plans to give the proceeds from their Christmas concert on Sunday to the fire victims.
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