5 firefighters injured, 2 seriously, in Queens blaze, FDNY says

At least five firefighters were injured, including two seriously, after a fire broke out at a Queens apartment building early Tuesday.

Around 3:20 a.m. fire officials received a report of a fire on the first floor of the three-story building on Madison Street in Ridgewood.

Two firefighters were taken to a hospital for treatment of serious injuries, the FDNY said. Three firefighters suffered minor injuries and were treated at the scene.

One civilian also suffered a minor injury and was taken to a hospital.

The fire occurred on a street of attached apartment buildings, and about 200 people are estimated to be displaced, the FDNY said.

At a press conference at the scene of the fire, FDNY Chief of Department John Esposito said the five-alarm fire came in around 3:30 a.m.

Firefighters arrived and found heavy fire on the first floor of the building and "realized it was quickly extending to the exposures next door through the open interior shafts," he said.

The fire eventually spread to all three floors of the building leading to the collapse of its roof and extending the fire to three neighboring buildings. All four buildings, containing about 30 families, were evacuated, he said.

The fifth-alarm brought about 270 firefighters, paramedics and EMTs to the scene, Esposito said.

One firefighter was treated at a hospital for serious injuries after an air conditioning unit fell from a window and onto his head. The firefighter is "conscious and alert but in significant pain," Esposito said.

Another firefighter was seriously injured and taken to a hospital, while three suffered minor injuries and treated at the scene. One civilian was also taken to a hospital for minor injuries, authorities said.

A spokesperson for the FDNY said the department had no updates regarding the injured firefighters' conditions Tuesday evening.

Mayor Zohran Mamdan, at the news conference, said the city was working with the American Red Cross and created an emergency response center at nearby P.S. 239.

"We know that while there wasn't a loss of life that for the many New Yorkers who were affected by this fire, this will irrevocably change their lives," Mamdani said.

American Red Cross registered 50 adults and 10 children across 26 different households affected by the fire for emergency assistance, the agency said in a news release Tuesday.

Outside the building, where the massive flames had dwindled Tuesday morning, Esposito said firefighters were still working to put out the fire and that it was not entirely under control.

Firefighters are applying water from the outside, as it is too dangerous to enter the building. "This was a very dangerous operation for our firefighters," Esposito said.

The incident is the second five-alarm fire to occur in the city this year. On Monday, firefighters put out a five-alarm fire in the Bronx.

Mamdani thanked first-responders for their life-saving efforts, noting that no loss of life in both fires is a testament to their dedication. He noted that some firefighters who tackled Tuesday’s fire also helped put out Monday’s fire.

"We know that it is thanks to those who run toward the fire that so many New Yorkers are able to run toward safety," he said

The FDNY said the cause of the fire was under investigation.