Fire tore through three townhouses on Staten Island early Thursday, injuring 34 people including two young children who were tossed out of a smoke-filled second-floor window into the arms of neighbors below, authorities and witnesses said.
About 200 firefighters responded to the blaze that erupted at about 1 a.m. and battled the five-alarm fire for several hours.
A Fire Department of New York spokesman said 23 firefighters and 11 civilians suffered injuries ranging from minor to serious but none was considered life-threatening. He said the number was expected to climb slightly.