FDNY: 12 hurt as Queens fire spreads through businesses
Seven firefighters and five civilians were injured in a fire that burned several businesses in Queens early Thursday morning, the FDNY said.
The five-alarm blaze started shortly after 2 a.m. inside a restaurant on Queens Boulevard, near 45th Street, in Sunnyside. When firefighters arrived minutes after receiving a call, it had already spread to adjacent buildings, Assistant Chief Anthony De Vita said.
“At this time, we have six businesses affected by the fire,” De Vita said at about 6:45 a.m.
All of the injuries were not considered life-threatening, the FDNY said.
There was a roof collapse in one of the buildings, likely caused by a backdraft, the chief said.
“With the amount of fire and heat and with the right amount of fuel and oxygen, sometimes you have a smoke explosion, a backdraft which is basically an instantaneous ignition of smoke and heat and gases,” he said.
The cause of the fire, placed under control at about 8 a.m., was under investigation. The FDNY said that nearly 200 firefighters and emergency personnel responded.
A gutted storefront on Queens Boulevard in Sunnyside, Queens, on Thursday. Credit: Charles Eckert
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