Ceiling collapses on firefighters battling 4-alarm Upper East Side fire, 4 hurt
UPPER EAST SIDE, Manhattan (WABC) -- A ceiling collapsed on several firefighters battling a four-alarm fire on the Upper East Side.
The fire broke out inside the building on First Avenue near 95th Street around 5:15 a.m. Tuesday.
The flames started in the Dragon One restaurant before spreading up through the five-story apartment building above.
The ceiling of the first floor collapsed inside the restaurant.
"It was a drop ceiling with ceiling tiles with a wooden grid with tin and that dropped injuring four of our members. Two of them were transported to Cornell Medical Center, two of them were transported to Saint Luke's hospital, they are all non-life-threatening injuries, thank God, it could have been much worse," said Assistant Fire Chief Michael Gala, FDNY.
Firefighters remained on the scene battling the stubborn fire hours later. Fire damaged the first and second floors of the building and there was a smoke condition throughout the entire building. Assistant Chief Gala said the fire was under control at 8:30 a.m., however the fire rekindled just before noon.
Twelve residents were displaced by the fire, and 23 were evacuated safely.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
There are traffic disruptions in the area due to the firefighting efforts.
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