i was really scared. i was scared. i mean, that smoke really hit me. by the time i got to the exit and i had the mask on, i couldn t even see. reporter: more than 200 firefighters on the scene within minutes, smashing out windows and evacuating residents on stretchers. we were sleeping, and then my kid just screams, fire, fire. reporter: mamadou wague says his daughter woke him up, saying a mattress in their apartment was on fire. it was a lot of smoke, you cannot see nothing. reporter: sanchez guillermo says he and his son waited for help in their apartment for an hour and a half. i was thinking they would never arrive. reporter: new york city mayor eric adams saying this is one of the worst fires in recent history. when something like this hits the city, it s going to take us a long time to recover. our hearts go out to those families. janai norman joins us. the mayor says this is one of the deadliest fires in 30 years in the city. what do we know about how this hap