Flames tore through a building in the Van Nest neighborhood of the Bronx Friday morning, jumping from the basement to third-floor apartments and injuring several people, fire officials said.
Dozens of firefighters battled the inferno as snow fell on an especially frigid night.
The fire started in the basement of a three-story building on Morris Park Avenue around 2 a.m.
The FDNY said that the blaze jumped past the first and second floors before overtaking apartments on the third floor before 3 a.m. Firefighters were still putting out hot spots more than an hour later.
Two people were checked for smoke inhalation but all injuries were believed to be minor.
The Lotus Flame, a West Indian restaurant, is on the first floor of the building but it’s unclear if the business also occupies the basement.