By WBFO News
Buffalo, NY – There were some tense moments Thursday morning at an apartment complex near downtown Buffalo.
Firefighters responded to a fire at the Maryner Towers adjacent to the Niagara Thruway shortly before 7am. The fire started in an elevator, filling the eighth floor with heavy smoke.
Firefighters used high-rise equipment to rescue residents from their eighth floor balconies and windows. Fire Commissioner Michael Lombardo said the fire had the potential to be a deadly one.
Fire officials say a lack of sprinklers and standpipes hampered their efforts. They say the building's smoke detectors did not seem to be operating.
One resident was treated for smoke inhalation while a firefighter suffered a shoulder injury.