Robert De Niro's apartment catches fire

Actor Robert De Niro's apartment here caught fire after lint in a clothes dryer sparked flames

Some residents of the building said the fire started in the fourth-floor laundry room of De Niro's three-level apartment Friday afternoon, reports eonline.com

A neighbour, who resides on the floor above De Niro's home, said: "I had a real hard time getting out of the building. The smoke was so dark and heavy, it was hard to breathe.

The film star is married to actress Grace Hightower, with whom he has two children -- Elliot and Helen. It is not known whether the 68-year-old actor or his family were at home when the fire broke out.