4-Alarm Fire In Queens Injures 10, Leaves Several Buildings Damaged Or Destroyed
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – Investigators are looking into what caused an out-of-control fire that damaged several buildings and hurt 10 people in Queens.
The fire in Ozone Park burned so hot and so fast, it left nothing to salvage, CBS2's Christina Fan reports.
The first floor of the building used to be a grocery store. It was left unrecognizable by Sunday's blaze.
"It was covered all in smoke, actually. I had to park like three blocks away from here because it was all covered in smoke," said the store owner's nephew, Mohammed Ahmed. "That's what they're living on, actually, that's the only store that they have, that's their occupation, actually, so they're going through a lot now.
Video taken at the scene showed firefighters aggressively tackling the flames that broke out around 11:30 a.m. Sunday morning. The heavy smoke could be seen billowing from several blocks away.
CBS2 has learned six buildings were damaged by the fast-moving fire. It appears two are completely destroyed. The 4-alarm fire drew a response from about 200 FDNY firefighters.
"Now we're checking on what we lost. There's nothing at all, everything burned," resident Mohammed Guffur Jaman said. "Still I feel good because God saved us – me, my floor… everybody's safe."
Ten people suffered minor to serious injuries, including an off-duty firefighter who rushed over to help.
Investigators say they are looking into the cause as well as where the fire actually began. The Red Cross is helping the displaced families.
