On January 11, 1988 at 2019, a fire in New York City was reported at 135 East 50th Street, a 10-story, 120 apartment unit building with professional offices on the first floor. First arriving fire fighting units were greeted by heavy smoke and flame coming from the lobby area. The two stairwells serving the upper floors of the building and located off the lobby area had their doors propped open and provided a path for smoke to rapidly fill the building, rendering the stairwells useless for evacuation.