The fire broke out around 2:15 a.m. at a building on Bradhurst Avenue near West 145th Street. Officials said it started on the fifth floor and took firefighters over an hour to get under control.Some residents told CBS2’s Reena Roy a candle may have been to blame.“It started with a small flame, then we tried to take it off, throw some water on it. But as soon as we threw the second bucket on it, the flames just got bigger,” one man said.“We all were running down, everybody tried to evacuate everybody,” added Brian Aguirre. “The glass started falling down with the flames, and I cut myself in my leg, my toes.”The official cause of the fire is still under investigation.In the meantime, residents are waiting to see how bad the damage is, while the Red Cross helps with temporary housing.

A New Jersey man is being hailed a hero for locating a 10-year-old boy with autism who went missing when he ran after his father's vehicle on Wednesday.Fazil Syed was among dozens South Brunswick community members, police officers and firefighter who spent the cold night searching for Ethan. The young boy was last seen on his Larry Court home's security camera at 7:17 p.m., running after his dad who was driving to the store, according to police.

CLIFTON, NJ — A teen was left traumatized by a recent visit to the Clifton Barnes & Noble after she spotted a camera in the bathroom.Madison Delaney, 18, was at the store with her mother and grandmother on Wednesday. She went to the bathroom and thought she was alone in there until she noticed something shocking — a camera peaking out from under the stall walls."I was terrified," she said. "I was shaking."

CITY HALL, Manhattan — Single-use plastic bags are on their way out from city stores starting March 1 when a statewide ban goes into effect and bodega owners and some shoppers are not happy.Customers can either pay an extra nickel for a paper bag or bring a reusable bag from home. Mark Cjonaj, chair of the Committee on Small Businesses, called out the change at a 'Plan the Ban, Stop the Chaos' rally on the steps of City Hall on Thursday.

JERSEY CITY, NJ — Newly released video from a fatal shootout at a kosher grocery store in Jersey City shows the moment one of the shooters exited the van he drove there, took three steps and raised a long gun before entering the market, sending passersby scattering away from the shop. The seven video files span roughly three hours from the Dec. 10 barrage that ended with the deaths of three people at the market, plus the two shooters.

Northwell Health and five other major health systems around the country will study ways to identify victims of human trafficking. The program, which trains hospital personnel to spot the signs that a person who seeks medical treatment has been trafficked was initiated three years ago at Huntington Hospital. Baptist Health in Florida; Advocate Aurora Health in Illinois; Hackensack Meridian Health in New Jersey; RWJ Barnabas Health in New Jersey, Harris Health in Texas and Northwell will participate in the pilot study to help the World Health Organization to develop protocols and guidelines to assist victims.

MIDTOWN MANHATTAN — In the White House and on the Democratic debate stage, colorful personalities abound; but the absence of any diversity in this year's race for president is not lost on Michael Garner.Garner is the president of One Hundred Black Men, the legendary non-profit organization which held its 40th annual benefit gala Thursday night in Midtown Manhattan. "We are successful because we focus on a solution, and we are not blinded by problems," said Garner.

BAY SHORE, Long Island (WABC) -- Police have made an arrest in a hit and run that left two men injured in Suffolk County. 25-year-old Emerson Alvarado of Bay Shore is charged with leaving the scene of an accident resulting in serious injury. Police say Alvarado hit two men who were crossing Fifth Avenue and Fairtown Road . He then drove off. 39-year-old Gonzalez Arevalo was hospitalized in critical condition after the incident.

Five people were injured in a multiple-car pileup in Brooklyn on Thursday night, police said.Two cars were driving southbound on Fifth Avenue near Fifth Street in Park Slope at around 11:40 p.m. when the crash happened, cops said.Witnesses and first responders told Brooklyn Paper that the cars were drag-racing down the avenue when they collided and hit three unoccupied park cars.Video posted to Citizen, a safety alert app, shows the damage with at least two cars smashed with debris piling up around them.

Byford is credited with improving transit performance, including decreasing subway delays, since he signed on two years ago.WATCH: MTA CEO Pat Foye Discusses Byford’s Departure On ‘The Point’ He rode the rails, cleaned up stations and even faced angry riders head-on.As Byford indicated in his resignation letter, he resented having his job scaled back as part of the MTA’s reorganization plan.WEB EXTRA: Read Byford’s resignation letter (pdf)FLASHBACK: Exclusive Subway Ride Along With Transit Boss Andy ByfordIt’s unclear what his next step will be.

LOWER MANHATTAN (WABC) -- New York City Transit Authority, Andy Byford spoke out about his future plans, as he prepared to spend his last day on the job Friday. So far, there is no word on who will replace him. On a farewell tour of the Transit Authority's Bus Command Center in Brooklyn on Thursday, Byford told workers that he and his wife intend to after his last day. in January, but has not said what he intends to do, and in the past few weeks, he had not indicated whether he would return to the UK.

A new revival of the Broadway classic "West Side Story" made history on its opening night but it also drew a crowd of protesters.Dozens of demonstrators gathered outside Broadway Theatre in Midtown on Thursday, calling for one of the show's lead actors, Amar Ramasar, to be fired over his alleged involvement in a nude photo sharing scandal at the New York City Ballet. While a record of 33 young people made their Broadway debuts that night, people outside chanted: "What do we want? Amar gone. When do we want it? Now."

NEW YORK — It’s no secret local and state officials saw holes in federal regulations on vaping and what they perceived to be a lax approach from President Donald Trump.New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and state health officials announced they’re doing something about it on Thursday.There was always one glaring loophole in existing regulations: an exception that we covered in depth earlier this month, allowing menthol flavored products to stay on the market until now.

HARLEM, Manhattan (WABC) -- Fire has damaged an apartment building in Harlem. It broke out before 3:30 a.m. Friday in the unit block of Bradhurst Avenue. Firefighters pushed through bitterly cold temperatures as the blaze went to two alarms. Flames could be seen on the fifth floor before crews got the upper hand. There were no immediate reports of injuries. Fire investigators are working to determine the cause.

The state University at Albany is investigating whether an off-campus coronavirus-themed party violated the college's student code of conduct, the university confirmed Thursday.Asian American Alliance, a university student organization, condemned the party hosted by students last weekend, saying it was insensitive and racist. A statement on the alliance's Instagram account said the virus “has led to not only mass stereotyping of Asian people, but also hundreds of deaths across the world."

NEW YORK — A 76-year-old woman with dementia previously reported missing has been found dead, according to authorities.Police discovered the body of Czeslawa Konefal, 76, in the water near the shoreline of Newtown Creek by the Kosciuszko Bridge. She was pronounced dead at the scene.The woman, who was known as Cheshsa, had been last seen Sunday Feb. 9 at St. Stanislaou Church, located at 607 Humboldt Street in Greenpoint.

ALBANY, N.Y. — The state University at Albany is investigating whether an off-campus coronavirus-themed party violated the college's student code of conduct. A group of Asian-American students at the university condemned the party hosted by students last weekend, saying it was insensitive and racist. Video of the party was briefly posted on the Barstool Albany Instagram account Sunday night. WGY News Radio said the video showed a bucket of Corona beers and a person wearing a surgical mask with the caption, “Corona virus isn't gonna stop anyone from partying.”

LONG ISLAND CITY, Queens — A federal appeals court in New York has approved a $6.7 million award for graffiti artists after their spray paintings were destroyed to make room for high-rise luxury residences.The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Thursday. A three-judge panel concluded that a Brooklyn federal judge was correct to award the damages against developers who destroyed the aerosol artwork.

A man was slashed in the face in Midtown early Thursday by a stranger who thought the victim was recording him, cops said.The 26-year-old victim was innocently recording local streets, panning his camera back and forth at 33rd St. and Park Ave. around 6:30 a.m. when a stranger stormed up and wanted to know why he was recording him. The two argued then walked away from each other.A short time later, as the victim waited for a Bronx-bound No. 6 train at the 33rd St./Park Ave. South station, the assailant reappeared and started arguing with him again.

NEW YORK — A leap year is a phenomenon that happens every four years, but what exactly is it and why does it happen? Well, it’s a way to synchronize the solar calendar with the calendar year. If you divide the number of days we live into the year, you’ll get an uneven number. It takes 365 ¼ days for the earth to complete its orbit around the sun. We take that extra quarter day for three years and add them together with the fourth year. Those four quarters now make up one day, which is given to the shortest month, February.

NEW YORK (WABC) -- Our First Responder Friday salute goes to Colonel Patrick J. Callahan of the NJ State Police, who has been a trooper for 27 years. He leads the New Jersey State Police. Another 57 troopers landed in Puerto Rico to help with natural disaster recovery, including destruction from the recent earthquakes. The troopers have advanced response certifications making them one of the most sought after agency for disaster relief in the US.

THE BRONX — There’s a big danger at the intersection of East Tremont and Van Nest Avenues in the Bronx. Photos look like scenes from a Hollywood film: vehicles tossed up and hanging on a traffic barrier. It happens fairly frequently.“We’ve had four cars flip in a two-week period,” Andre Durante, a nearby used car and repair shop store owner told PIX11 News. “We’ve had school buses hit that, we’ve had trucks.”

THE BRONX — The goal is to streamline service and provide faster trips. Riders, community groups, elected leaders and transit officials have been working for the past year and a half to redesign the Bronx routes. Maps will be redrawn in all the boroughs. Staten Island was done first. The process has begun in Queens and Brooklyn. Public sessions are continuing there. Riders in the Bronx worry that some areas will lose local service.

PHILADELPHIA — Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving will have arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder and miss the rest of the season.The Nets made the announcement Thursday before playing the Philadelphia 76ers in their first game after the All-Star break. Nets coach Kenny Atkinson said this week that Irving was still having trouble with the shoulder that sidelined him for 26 games earlier this season.