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Woman, Child Seriously Injured in Villa Avenue Fire, FDNY Says

By  Tuan Nguyen and Aidan Gardiner | December 21, 2012 8:39am | Updated on December 21, 2012 10:33am

 Flames climbed up the rear of 3167 Villa Ave. and tore through the top floors, injuring three—a woman and a child seriously—on Friday December 21, 2012.
Flames climbed up the rear of 3167 Villa Ave. and tore through the top floors, injuring three—a woman and a child seriously—on Friday December 21, 2012.
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DNAinfo/Tuan Nguyen

BEDFORD PARK — A woman and a child were seriously injured Friday morning when a Villa Avenue apartment building went up in flames, a fire spokesman said.

The fire sparked in the rear of a restaurant at 3167 Villa Ave., near East 205th Street, about 4 a.m., and quickly engulfed the first and second floors, according to witnesses the FDNY.

"Me and my wife all ran out with our 2-month-old son," said Ronny Gonzalez, 33, who lives on the second floor of the building next door.

Gonzalez and his family were awoken by thick smoke billowing from the restaurant on the ground level.

"We had nothing on as we had no time," Gonzalez said. "Me only in T-shirt and my wife in bed clothes. In the rain."

Flames also scorched 3169 Villa Ave. next door, witnesses said.

More than 100 firefighters raced to the buildings and brought the blaze under control about an hour later, an FDNY spokesman said.

The woman and the child suffered serious injuries and a firefighter complained of chest pains, fire officials said. The injuries to the firefighter did not appear to be life-threatening, the spokesman added.

All of the victims were taken to Montefiore Medical Center.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation, firefighters on the scene said.