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Lower East Side Fire Leaves Six Hurt

By DNAinfo Staff on March 28, 2012 12:09pm  | Updated on March 28, 2012 1:51pm

A three-alarm fire broke out at 89 Columbia St. on March 28, 2012.
A three-alarm fire broke out at 89 Columbia St. on March 28, 2012.
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DNAinfo/Theodore Parisienne

Theodore Parisienne and Wil Cruz

DNAinfo Staff

LOWER EAST SIDE — A massive fire at a high-rise building on Columbia Street left six people, including four firefighters, injured, officials said.

The three-alarm fire started about 11:20 a.m. on the 16th floor of 89 Columbia St., near Delancey Street and the Williamsburg Bridge, officials said. It quickly spread to some of the above floors, said FDNY Chief Michael McPartland.

"We had an advanced fire on arrival," he said. "We had fire on four floors, 16, 17, 18 and 19."

More than 130 firefighters knocked down the fire at the 21-story building about 90 minutes after it began, an FDNY spokesman said.

"We were able to extinguish the fire pretty quickly, good response by the units," Chief McPartland added.

Four firefighters and two civilians sustained minor injuries, a spokesman said. They were taken to Bellevue Hospital.

Chief McPartland added that two dogs were rescued from the 16th floor, where the fire started.

Fire marshals were on scene to determine how it started.

"Right now, the fire is under investigation," he said. "We dont' know how it started yet."

McPartland said firefighters benefited from a relatively mild day.

"We got lucky this time," he said. "We didn't have any wind. Wind was not a factor."