The fire broke out in a third-floor apartment on East 78th Street near 2nd Avenue at around 1:30 a.m. Tuesday.
An eyewitness said he could see flames shooting from the building.
I could see fire coming right out of this part of this building. I could see it from my backyard, it was so close to where I am, even though our building wasn't affected. And then I came racing back down again and I see all of that fire and stuff," said Charlie Sunor, a neighbor.
One person's injuries were said to be life-threatening. The other two people were treated for minor injuries.
The fire was placed under control by 3:15 a.m.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
RELATED | 2 shot, injured in front of Brooklyn restaurant; suspect on the loose
2 shot, injured in front of NYC restaurant: Police
----------
* Get Eyewitness News Delivered
* More Manhattan news
* Send us a news tip
* Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts
* Follow us on YouTube