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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW How you can conserve water at home ... Stouts fire burns 15,000 acres and counting ... 'Mitigation banking' ... How you can conserve water at home ... Stouts fire burns 15,000 acres and counting ... 'Mitigation banking' ... 5-story Manhattan building collapses in raging fire At least two people critically injured Comment By Jonathan Lemire and Colleen Long The Associated Press MailTribune.com By Jonathan Lemire and Colleen Long The Associated Press Posted Mar. 26, 2015 at 1:47 PM By Jonathan Lemire and Colleen Long The Associated Press Posted Mar. 26, 2015 at 1:47 PM » Social News NEW YORK — A building on fire near New York University collapsed on Thursday, and at least two people were critically injured, firefighters said. Orange flames and black smoke billowed from the facade and roof of the five-story building in Manhattan, near several NYU buildings and the Washington Square Park area. Flames were spreading to other buildings. Investigators were looking into whether there had been a gas leak. There were some reports of an explosion before the fire. The area was being evacuated, and other people were being evaluated at the scene. Freelance photographer Michael Seto, who lives about 1 1/2 blocks away, said he was having lunch around 3:20 p.m. "I could feel the boom in my apartment, and it short of shook," he said. He grabbed his camera, ran outside and found a crowd gathering, looking at a brick tenement-style building with a restaurant on the first floor. "By the second story, the front part of the building, the facade, the first and second stories, it looked like, had collapsed into the street," he said. Rubble was on the sidewalk, and glass and debris had been flung across an avenue. As Seto ran up to the building, a fire was starting inside it. "It spread very quickly and pretty much engulfed the first floor," he said. Meanwhile, a man was climbing up the fire escape, not down, he said. "People were calling to him that the building's on fire — he needs to get down," and he did, Seto said. He saw one person lying on the ground, being attended to by two to three passers-by who were holding his head still. A woman was sitting on the curb with blood coming down her face, and another woman walked past him with blood on her face. Associated Press writer Jennifer Peltz contributed to this report. By Jonathan Lemire and Colleen Long The Associated Press MailTribune.com By Jonathan Lemire and Colleen Long The Associated Press Posted Mar. 26, 2015 at 1:47 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501