At least six people were injured in a massive fire that swept through a residential building in Ridgewood, Queens early Tuesday morning. The blaze, which was designated as five alarms within an hour of breaking out, forced authorities to vacate four adjacent buildings on the block.
The fire, which started at around 3:30 am, ripped through a three-story residential building located between Seneca and Onderdonk avenues in Ridgewood. As firefighters battled the blaze, it spread rapidly throughout the building, causing its roof to collapse and damaging surrounding properties.
Five firefighters and one civilian sustained minor injuries and were taken to local hospitals for treatment, officials said at a press briefing. The emergency response center set up at P.S. 239 has provided shelter, clothing, and other resources to people displaced by the fire.
The FDNY has launched an investigation into the cause of the blaze, which is believed to have started in the residential building before 3:30 am. "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," Mayor Zohran Mamdani said.
The FDNY responded with over 270 firefighters and emergency medical workers to the scene, but their efforts were hampered by three parked cars blocking different fire hydrants in the area. The New York City Emergency Management agency has urged people to avoid the area if possible and close their windows if they live nearby.
In a related incident, another five-alarm fire broke out in the Bronx early Monday, injuring three people and prompting authorities to investigate how their response was slowed by parked cars blocking fire hydrants.
The fire, which started at around 3:30 am, ripped through a three-story residential building located between Seneca and Onderdonk avenues in Ridgewood. As firefighters battled the blaze, it spread rapidly throughout the building, causing its roof to collapse and damaging surrounding properties.
Five firefighters and one civilian sustained minor injuries and were taken to local hospitals for treatment, officials said at a press briefing. The emergency response center set up at P.S. 239 has provided shelter, clothing, and other resources to people displaced by the fire.
The FDNY has launched an investigation into the cause of the blaze, which is believed to have started in the residential building before 3:30 am. "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," Mayor Zohran Mamdani said.
The FDNY responded with over 270 firefighters and emergency medical workers to the scene, but their efforts were hampered by three parked cars blocking different fire hydrants in the area. The New York City Emergency Management agency has urged people to avoid the area if possible and close their windows if they live nearby.
In a related incident, another five-alarm fire broke out in the Bronx early Monday, injuring three people and prompting authorities to investigate how their response was slowed by parked cars blocking fire hydrants.
?? I mean, six peeps get hurt in dat massive fire in Ridgewood Queens & it's like, totally unacceptable 
. I'm glad no one lost their life tho 
. But still, how cld five firefighters + a civilian get hurt w/ all da precautions? 
It's like, common sense 
. I mean, I know NYC's got its issues, but dis is just crazy 
. And now another 5-alarm fire breaks out in da Bronx & it's all because of parked cars... wut's up w/ dat?! 
It's like a war zone! And to make matters worse, parked cars blocking fire hydrants? Like, what is wrong with people?! 
How hard is it to move your car when there's a huge emergency?! 
I feel so bad for all the people who got hurt and had their homes ruined. We need to do better than this! 
We need to be more considerate of others and look out for each other. Like, can we please just have some common sense? 
its so sad what happened in ridgewood... six people get hurt just for no reason at all. i wonder if it was an accident or something that needs to be looked into more... those firefighters do a brave job, but 270 of them cant even use fire hydrants because of cars parked everywhere? 
.
. I mean, 270 firefighters? That's a whole lotta people trying to save one building. It's crazy how something like this can happen in our own backyard 
.
. We should be doin' more to support these people and less of just finger pointin' at the city 
also, what's up with this one guy saying his life will be forever changed? like, yeah no kidding, you just survived a massive fire! 
hope they get the resources they need ASAP 
and now the mayor's all like "our lives will never be the same" yeah no kidding, you're just making it sound like we're victims or something 
anyway, what's with these fires in NYC lately? 
Nah, I don't think so... it's like they're testing us or something. And what about all those people displaced by the fire? Are we just going to forget about them like that? The system is clearly trying to hide something here... 
. And what really gets me is that they're saying it's gonna "irrevocably change" people's lives? Like, yeah, no kidding.
This is why we need more affordable housing options and investment in community resources. 
