Newsday

More than 140 firefighters responded to the 5:15 a.m. blaze at 72nd Street and Third Avenue at the State News, a stationery and news store, but flames did not spread to the luxury high-rise rental called the Wellesley.

Fire marshals have determined that the blaze was an electrical fire and is not suspicious, and began in the front of the store, a spokesman for the department, Tony Sclafani, said.

At the time of the blaze, the building's alarm system was not properly functioning, according to fire officials.

The first three floors of the Wellesley were evacuated because of smoke damage, and 33 firefighters and civilians suffered minor injuries, including one firefighter who was admitted at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center with serious but non-life-threatening injuries, fire officials said.

On Jan. 30, the fire department received an anonymous complaint that the building's alarm system was not properly functioning and consequently issued a violation, but at the time the building's owner was in the process of repairing the entire system and had posted notices throughout the building, fire officials said yesterday.

Building records show that the building's owner obtained a permit to modify and update the fire alarm system on Oct. 31, but has not yet completed the work.

The building is fireproof and is not required by law to have a fire alarm system, but if a building decides to install one, as the Wellesley did, it is required to maintain it, fire officials said.

The store's alarm system was separate from the building and properly signaled the fire department, fire officials said.

Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, who was on the scene shortly after the fire started, said the residential alarm system should have been functioning.

"There is a reason that we have building and safety protocols, and that reason is to protect our residents and businesses in the case of an emergency. Sometimes fire alarms must be fixed, but there is no excuse to disregard safety measures," Stringer said in a statement. "This kind of incident makes all city residents question their safety."

Fire officials advise that in the event of a fire, residents in fireproof high-rise buildings stay inside their apartments and await instruction from the fire department.

"As far as I know everything worked fine," the Wellesley's rental agent, Patricia Mott, said.

When asked about the building violation, the Wellesley's building manager, Jack Mulvey, refused to comment. Messages left with the building's main office were not returned.

The fire caused smoke and fire damage to Grace's Marketplace, located next door to the State News, damaging the meat, fish and produce departments, a store manager, Javier Mojica, said. There was also minor water damage to an antiques store.

The owner of the State News, Louis Weissbart, said he has owned the family-run store for 29 years and will reopen as soon as possible.