Fire kills 1, injures others on upper East side

Around 3:30 a.m. this morning, the New York City fire department responded to a 9-1-1 call about a fire at 324 E. 93rd Street between First and Second Avenues. An unidentified male adult was discovered dead at the scene, according to an NYPD statement.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

A spokesperson for the fire department said 18 people were also injured; 11 firefighters and six civilians are in stable condition and one civilian had serious injuries. The latter was an 81-year-old man who was rescued from the third floor of the five-story building. He is now in stable condition at Weill Cornell Medical Center.

The fire was elevated to the six-alarm level around 5 a.m., but was brought under control just before 8 a.m. by the 50 units and 240 firefighters responding.

“There was one roof rope rescue by Rescue Company Number One,” the spokesperson said, referring to a rarely used method that was deployed to rescue the 81-year-old.

Mayor Bill de Blasio tweeted his appreciation for the fire department this morning, calling the roof rescue “simply heroic.”

FDNY Commissioner Daniel Nigro described it as extraordinary. “I can't say enough about the danger involved in that type of rescue,” he said.

The Red Cross was on the scene and is working to find shelter for the residents displaced by the blaze.

“It's tragic,” said Jim Clynes, the chairman of Community Board 8. “My prayers are with the residents, their families and the firefighters that were injured.”

City Council Member Ben Kallos praised the response to the crisis. And he offered help.

"My office, which is located at 244 East 93rd Street, just across the street from where the fire occurred, is and has been available for any person displaced by the fire who needs a warm place to go or help with any emergency needs," Kallos said. "First responders, Red Cross workers, and anyone needing a hand is welcome to stop by and use our facilities."