1 dead, nearly two dozen injured after fire damages several homes in Flushing, Queens
FLUSHING, Queens (WABC) -- One person was killed and nearly two dozen people are being treated for injuries after fire ripped through a home in Queens and quickly spread.
The flames broke out just before 10 a.m. Saturday on the first floor of a home on 41st Road near College Point Boulevard in Flushing. Residents tried to take on the ball of flames before firefighters arrived.
"You couldn't see the whole block, and it was black at one point and it wouldn't stop. The fire kept coming back," said Leslie Phillips.
Officials say about 250 FDNY and EMS members rushed to the five-alarm fire. One resident was trapped inside the home.
"Members from Rescue 4 were able to get above the fire on the second floor of the main fire building without the protection of a hose line under high heat and zero visibility. They performed searches," said FDNY Chief Kevin Woods.
Authorities say medics took two residents to the hospital.
"I come over here and I see a lot of fire, a lot of ambulances. One firefighter was taken away by the ambulance," said Kamal Shakir.
Firefighters and EMTs also battled smoke inhalation, head exhaustion and minor sprains as the fire spread from one home to three. The homes were built in 1930 so they are all wood or wood-frame buildings, which is why the fire traveled so rapidly.
Residents, unable to speak English and worried about personal documents, watched in horror as the fire reduced their homes to charred debris.
"Elderly people lived in (that) unit. So yeah, it's of course a complete hardship for those people," said Douglas Rose.
17 firefighters were treated for non-life threatening injuries along with 2 EMS, one resident also suffered a minor injury.
----------
* Get Eyewitness News Delivered
* Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts
Submit a tip or story idea to Eyewitness News
Have a breaking news tip or an idea for a story we should cover? Send it to Eyewitness News using the form below. If attaching a video or photo, terms of use apply.
