More than a dozen firefighters were injured while battling a fire in a commercial building near Bryant Park, fire officials say.
The FDNY says the large fire at 21 West 39th St. appears to have started on the first floor, in the kitchen of a Chinese restaurant. The blaze was difficult to fight because it got into the walls and pipes.
"I just see people running, I heard a couple screams. It was pretty crazy," witness Tremaine Campbell said of the chaos during the evening rush hour.
Fourteen firefighters were injured in the fire -- seven of them seriously, for heat exhaustion and debris impact. One civilian had a minor injury, but the victim declined transportation to the hospital.
The six-story building is all offices and stores, officials said.
