It's believed a man hit his girlfriend and then set the fire, forcing neighbors to toss three young children over a balcony to safety.

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First responders rushed to what's been described as a devastating fire at the Buttonwood Hills Condominiums on Concord Lane in Middletown, around 7:30 p.m. on Monday.

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Witnesses say the blaze started as a domestic incident which was later confirmed by Middletown Mayor Joseph DeStefano, Rockland Video tells Hudson Valley Post.

It's believed a boyfriend assaulted his girlfriend and then set their apartment on fire with three small children in the apartment at the time. Witnesses told Rockland Video they heard a bang, saw flames and then noticed the unnamed man jump from the balcony and run into the woods.

Neighbors went after the man and he was quickly caught by police and taken into custody. Witnesses say they saw neighbors toss three small children over the second-floor balcony to escape the growing flames.

The kids are fine. The only serious injury being reported as of this writing is the girlfriend, from injuries she sustained when she was allegedly assaulted by her boyfriend. A pet cat died in the fire.

​One firefighter suffered minor injuries. Many other residents had to be evacuated from their condo units. The Red Cross reports ten units in the condominium have been destroyed.

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