A five-alarm fire today consumed the landmark high school that inspired the hit movie and TV show ``Fame,'' injuring 30 of the 200 firefighters battling the blaze in freezing temperatures and high winds. The third, fourth and fifth floors and a section of the roof of the six-story former High School for the Performing Arts in Manhattan collapsed, forcing officials to pull all firefighters out of the building, said spokesman Efrain Parrilla. Some firefighters were sent back into the building about two hours later because there was no other way to get to the blaze, Parilla said. The fire was declared under control by 5:30 a.m., nearly five hours after it was reported, Parrilla said. Pockets of flame were expected to continue burning through the morning, but firefighters were expected to be able to keep it from spreading. Four firefighters were sent to hospitals with minor injuries, Parrilla said. Twenty-six others were treated at the scene for sprain, cuts, and other minor injuries. The fire at what is now Liberty High School near Times Square was reported at 12:38 a.m. The blaze started on the third floor and burned up to the roof, Parrilla said. High winds and slippery conditions due to recent snow and rain hampered firefighters, the spokesman said. The National Weather Service reported winds gusting to 28 mph and wind chills of minus 7. The high school was designated a city landmark in 1982. The performing arts school, part of the public school system, combined with the High School of Music and Art about three years ago and moved to a new home. Although the Board of Education did not permit film crews to shoot scenes for ``Fame'' inside the high school building, the facade was seen in the 1980 film and the TV series.
