Authorities say seven people were hurt in a three-alarm blaze that erupted at a building in the Bronx Wednesday morning, including a woman who neighbors say was in the shower when the flames broke out and jumped, naked, from the second floor to escape them.
Fire officials say all the victims are civilians. Their injuries ranged from serious to minor.
The fire broke out in a building on Decatur Avenue shortly after 7:30 a.m. and spread to an adjacent building. Both buildings are several stories high.
Neighbors Catherine and Wayne Hopkins said they saw the naked woman jump from the second floor; they said she sustained injuries to her legs, and that other neighbors brought her blankets.
Catherine Hopkins said she called 911 while her husband raced into one of the burning buildings to help his neighbors.
"They're running into the building. Others are running out of the building. A lady jumped out because she didn't know what to do," Catherine Hopkins said.
Wayne Hopkins said he saw a man run out of the burning building with an infant cradled in his arms.
Jared Hollman, who lives in one of the buildings that caught fire, said heavy smoke trapped him in his room. He had to climb out the window and scale down the building.
"I didn't fall because there was a guy standing outside. He caught me," Hollman said.
The Red Cross says it is assisting three families displaced by the fire.
Follow Katherine Creag on Twitter @katcreag4NY
