A huge four-alarm fire ravaged a Queens home Monday, February 9, leaving one woman dead and eight others injured, the New York Post reported. Among those injured was a young man left fighting for his life, local authorities said.
Residents have now recalled the frightening scene, describing the overwhelming smoke from the blaze. A shocking video of the fire has surfaced on social media.
The massive blaze broke out around 6:44 pm on the first floor of a residential building on Dongan Avenue between Poyer Street and Broadway in Elmhurst, the FDNY said. While a 34-year-old woman was pronounced dead at the scene of the fire, a man, 22, was rushed to an area hospital in critical condition, police said. Five other New Yorkers, as well as two firefighters, sustained minor injuries.
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Firefighters worked through Monday evening to quell the flames. Several people were seen being taken into ambulances on stretchers as the fire raged on.
Residents recall the incident
Neighbor Subash Gurung told the New York Post that he was at work when the fire broke out. His family panicked and called him as the blaze broke out next to his house and smoke started to overwhelm their basement.
“My mother saw the smoke coming from the basement, and she screamed. And that’s when all the people gathered, and they called 911,” Gurung said.
“A cold night, it’s terrible, and my apartment is filled with smoke. And they’re telling us they’re just going to tear down everything, and I think they’re going to look into my apartment,” he added. “So I don’t have nowhere to go, I’m relying on my friend tonight.”
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Caitlin Clarke, a resident who lives nearby, recalled smelling smoke. When she looked outside, she flaw huge flames engulfing the home on her street.
“I was watching a show with my mom, I was opening a fruit, and then I’m like, ‘Mom, do you smell that smoke?’” Clarke said. “I stand up and run to the door, and then there’s smoke at the end of the block with flames coming out of it.”
“I haven’t seen anything like this in a long time. This is like something I would see in my history book,” she added.
It remains unclear what caused the fire. An investigation into the incident is underway.