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FDNY Puts Out Rubbish Fire near East Harlem Pharmacy Robbery and Shootout

By DNAinfo Staff on April 14, 2012 2:43pm  | Updated on April 14, 2012 2:47pm

Firefighters extinguished a rubbish fire in the first-floor lobby of 2301 First Ave. in Harlem Sat., April 14, 2012.
Firefighters extinguished a rubbish fire in the first-floor lobby of 2301 First Ave. in Harlem Sat., April 14, 2012.
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DNAinfo/Sarah Tan

By Sarah Tan

Special to DNAinfo

It was like deja vu all over again as emergency vehicle swarmed at East 119th Street and First Avenue for a smoky fire Saturday -- just days after a robbery and shootout a few doors away. 

Firefighters extinguished a rubbish fire in the first floor lobby of 2301 First Ave. around 1 p.m. Saturday.

All the residents of the building were evacuated with just two minor injuries, said fire officials at the scene.

Gene Sidorov, who lives on the third floor said he was unable to get downstairs through the smoke.

"When I opened the apartment door I saw smoke i the hallway.  As I went down the stairs, I realized the smoke was getting thicker," he said.  "So I ran back upstairs, went through another apartment and we all got out through the fire escape."

Two days earlier, Rudolph Wyatt,, who had robbed a drug store at 2325 First Avenue  and ran from the pharmacy shooting at cops, was shot and killed by a retired NYPD lieutenant.

Sidorov said that fire was "unpredictable" but the gunplay was not shocking.

"I'm not surprised," he said.  "I had someone approach me with a gun last year."