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.