A woman is in the hospital after being rescued from a fire that tore through a second-floor apartment in Tremont Thursday afternoon.
The FDNY says flames broke out around 4:16 p.m. inside a home at 2259 Hughes Ave. While two of the building’s three families escaped safely, neighbors watched as first responders performed CPR on the woman before rushing her to a hospital.
The FDNY has not confirmed the victim's condition.
The woman’s son was left shaken by the ordeal. Neighbors say he had been with his mother shortly before the fire and returned to find emergency crews swarming the scene with no sign of her. Community members also helped reunite him with the family’s dog, which was found trembling after being exposed to the thick smoke.
Firefighters faced several challenges while battling the blaze, including structural concerns and tight access along the narrow one-way street. Officials say crews also had to navigate around a large tree while working to reach the flames.
Fire marshals were on scene investigating the cause of the fire. Investigators were seen asking neighbors for surveillance footage, particularly video recorded during the 30 minutes before the fire started.
No other injuries have been reported. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.