The fire broke out shortly before 2:40 a.m. inside a five-story apartment building on 40th Street in Sunnyside.
Fire officials said the blaze started on the building's second floor before spreading to the third floor.
Two residents were found on the second floor. A 61-year-old man was pronounced dead while a 60-year-old man was transported to a nearby hospital in critical condition.
A firefighter also suffered injuries while battling the fire and was taken to an area hospital for treatment.
It took almost 80 fire and EMS personnel to get under control.
Residents described waking up to frightening conditions as smoke filled the building.
One resident said the fire was coming from the unit right below him.
"I get out of bed and I see smoke coming into our apartment. It's coming from underneath so I woke up my wife and run out... it was pretty scary stuff," Mahtab Alum said.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation and the victim's identity has not yet been released.
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