A man was hurt when he fell six stories while trying to escape a Hempstead apartment fire early Tuesday morning.
The Hempstead Fire Department responded to a fire at 100 Terrace Ave. after the fire alarm went off and the building’s security staff began to evacuate the building at 12:15 a.m., Nassau police said. A 40-year-old man, attempting to escape the smoke from the apartment above, hung from a sixth floor window, lost his grip and fell to a courtyard below.
The man, whose name police did not release, was taken to a local hospital where he is listed in extreme critical condition with numerous internal injuries and massive blood loss. Some residents suffered from smoke inhalation are listed in stable condition with no serious injuries.
A resident of the building, who fell asleep with lit candles, awoke to find a lampshade on fire, which quickly spread to the bed, according to Arson/Bomb Squad detectives. Fourteen fire departments responded to the scene with more than 150 firefighters to extinguish the flames.
The American Red Cross is working to relocate several families displaced due to fire and water damage.