The membership of Local 2493 would like to express our sincere condolences to the family & friends of Patrick Joyce and his extended family at Local 628.

YONKERS, N.Y. (CBS) One firefighter was killed and two others injured while battling a fire in Yonkers early Friday morning, CBS 2 has confirmed.

Fire officials announced that Patrick Joyce, 39, a veteran Yonkers firefighter, died after reportedly leaping along with two other firefighters from the third floor of a burning house on Waverly Street. Firefighters responded to the blaze when it broke out shortly after 1 a.m.

"Three guys got trapped on the third floor and they had to bail out of a third floor window," said Yonkers Fire Chief George Kielb.

Joyce was pronounced dead about 2 a.m.

"It's like losing a brother," said Kielb.

Lt. Joseph Murray and Firefighter William Kanych are in serious, but stable condition at Jacoby Hospital, officials said, and are expected to survive.

The firefighters were sent into the house based on a report that someone may have been trapped on the top floor, but Kielb said moments after they got upstairs, the fire then "blew right up the rear staircase and then went up like a blowtorch."

He added: "They just started to get what we call a bailout line, it's a personal rescue rope that all firefighters carry, they just started to get it out and they had to almost immediately get out the window,"

Joyce has worked for the Yonkers fire department for 16 years. He is survived by his wife and two children.

Officials said it appeared the fire started on the first floor before spreading throughout the building, which is comprised of five residential units, all of them occupied. All residents escaped unharmed.

"I don't know what happened, all I know is a guy from the back door behind us came and was banging my door down and said, 'Get out of the house, get out of the house, there's a fire!' And we just ran out," said resident Genell Cohen.

Yonkers Mayor Philip A. Amicone said investigators have deemed the fire suspicious. It appears it started in more than one location.