NEW YORK - It's still not clear what started a fire at a building in East Harlem Wednesday afternoon.

Flames broke out just after 4 p.m. on the first floor of an apartment building located at 158 East 110th Street.

No one was seriously hurt, and only one person was taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation.

"The fire became so intense that we could barely see anything inside the building," said one tenant at the scene. "I was able to with the grace of God I was able to get out of the building on time and get people organized and come downstairs."

The Buildings Department says the fire started inside an illegally converted apartment.

Violations were issued to the landlord for that apartment, and for not maintaining the building.