Five-Alarm Queens Fire Injures 17 Firefighters, Displaces Families From Historic Wooden Buildings

A destructive five-alarm blaze tore through a Queens apartment complex Saturday morning, leaving nearly two dozen people injured in what authorities described as a particularly challenging rescue operation. Fire broke out before 10 a.m. in a two-story wooden structure, and firefighters discovered upon arrival that flames had already engulfed two buildings and were advancing toward a third.

Kevin Woods, chief of Fire Operations for the New York City Fire Department, detailed the hazardous conditions crews faced while conducting rescues. Firefighters navigated the second floor above the active fire amid extreme heat and virtually no visibility, managing to extract one trapped resident from the building. That individual was transported to a hospital for treatment.

The incident resulted in injuries to 17 FDNY members, two Emergency Medical Services personnel, and two civilians, Woods reported. Hospital officials were thanked by the fire chief for their care of the injured responders, though Woods confirmed none of the injuries posed life-threatening risks.

The fifth-alarm designation meant 250 firefighters responded to the scene. The two historic residences, constructed in 1930 entirely from wood, sustained heavy damage, with numerous families displaced by the destruction. Investigators have launched a probe into the fire’s cause, while officials worked to stabilize the scene.