In a bizarre incident, a New York City man used a machete to slash his neighbor Sunday before going back upstairs and lighting himself and his building up, police said.

The victim, Hobart Barrow, 65, was on his way to visit a friend Sunday morning. As he locked the door of his Bronx apartment, his upstairs neighbor, Teddy John, appeared with a machete in his hand, The Wall Street Journal reported.

When John, 36, swung the blade at him, Barrow blocked the first blow and sustained a cut to his hand. But John managed to hit him on the head and in the face, he said.

Barrow eventually managed to get the upper hand.

I tried to choke him and he dropped the sword, Barrow explained. I don't know what's going on with him. I keep to myself.

John then went upstairs and set himself and the building on fire, said police.

Around 9 a.m., police received a 911 call informing them of a stabbing at 2447 Southern Blvd, the report said. The fire department received a call about the building on fire around the same time.

It took more than 60 firefighters a half hour to put out the fire and rescue five people from the building.

When officers arrived at the scene, they found Barrow with several injuries on the head, face and hands. He was taken to the hospital where he got stitches on his cuts, and was released by Sunday afternoon.

John suffered burns all over his body is listed in a critical condition, according to the report.

Officials said an earlier dispute between Barrow and John may be behind the attack.