BY JAMES O’CONNOR, MICHAEL PEYKO AND OMAR CRESPO

PHOTO EDITOR, ASST. NEWS EDITOR AND GUEST WRITER

At around 4:30 pm on Jan. 30, MC students that were in the vicinity of the Quad were greeted by a thick layer of smoke and a smell that was described by many as barbeque.

The smell was coming from the Waterford apartment building at 445 W. 240 St. The building is located half a block away from Overlook, the off campus housing option for Manhattan College students.

Firefighters responded to the call in short order with roughly five fire trucks, two ambulances and a host of police responding to the call.

FDNY crews reached the seventh floor, where the fire was extinguished.

Authorities and residents assess the damage.

Firefighters remain at the scene long after the fire was put out.

Only one small injury was sustained by an FDNY firefighter who was cut on the hand.

The Waterford apartments are located across the street from Overlook Manor.

Initial reports indicate that the fire started when a heating unit was left on in an empty apartment.

Two NYPD officers live in the apartment.

As of 5:30 pm that day, there were no reported injuries to residents with only one member of the FDNY suffering a small cut on his hand.

“It was a small smoke fire on the seventh floor,” said Lt. Vega of the FDNY.

All six apartments on the seventh floor had to be vacated due to the fire and water damage that was sustained.

“We respond to anything 175 [street] and above that the FDNY reports,” said a member of the Red Cross that was responding to the incident. “We come to make sure that the occupants are okay and supply humanitarian aid if needed.”

The buildings superintendent of the building initially tried put out the fire himself with a fire extinguisher but failed to do so.

The fire itself was quickly dealt with, but hotspots and smoldering materials had the FDNY on the scene long after the initial incident.