Flames shot from a balcony at a high-rise apartment building on Manhattan's Upper East Side Sunday night, burning so bright they were visible from blocks away before firefighters knocked the blaze down in about 35 minutes. Two firefighters suffered minor injuries during the response, though no residents were hurt.
The fire broke out near East 74th Street and Second Avenue, according to ABC7 New York, which reported that flames could be seen shooting from a balcony as crews raced to the scene. The station's report notes that no residents were injured in the fire, even as the flames drew attention from passersby several blocks from the building.
Crews Knock Down Blaze in Roughly Half an Hour
Firefighters brought the fire under control in about 35 minutes, per the same account, a relatively swift response for a high-rise incident. The cause of the fire has not been determined and remains under investigation, the outlet reported. Details about the two injured firefighters, including the nature of their injuries or their current condition, have not been released.
Not the First Upper East Side Fire to Injure Responders This Year
Sunday's fire is at least the third Upper East Side blaze this year in which emergency responders were hurt. In April, a fire at 1088 Park Avenue, a 16-story apartment building between East 88th and East 89th streets, injured three firefighters, according to Patch. That fire broke out around 8:18 p.m. and drew roughly 120 firefighters and medics before it was extinguished by 8:58 p.m., with the three injured firefighters taken to an area hospital.
A separate fire at 235 East 96th Street near Second Avenue, on the second floor of a 10-story apartment building, left two EMS medics with minor injuries, Patch reported. That blaze began at 7:16 p.m. and was put out by 7:56 p.m. after about 79 firefighters and medics responded. It is not known whether Sunday's fire is connected in any way to these earlier incidents.
A Citywide Rise in Serious Fires
The Upper East Side incidents come amid a broader uptick in serious fires across the five boroughs. There were 2,175 serious fires citywide in Fiscal 2025, a 15 percent increase from the previous fiscal year, while multiple-alarm fires rose by 12 percent, according to data published by the City of New York. The city's Bureau of Fire Investigation compiles annual reports examining fire causes, fatalities, and civilian injuries as part of its broader review of the Fire Department's response efforts.
