Flames broke out just before 3 p.m. Friday on the second floor of the six-story building on W. 145th St. between Amsterdam Ave. and Broadway. The fire quickly jumped to five alarms.
FDNY Fire Commissioner Robert Tucker says a firefighter backed down the stairs and fell down a shaft. He received immediate medical care and is in serious, but stable condition at Harlem Hospital.
Four other people also suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
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