A fire tore through a building on 81st Street in Elmhurst, Queens overnight, injuring a firefighter and two other people before crews brought the flames under control within about an hour. The blaze broke out around 12:45 a.m. at 40-15 81 Street, between Roosevelt Avenue and 41st Avenue, sending dozens of fire and EMS personnel racing to the scene.
The fire was reported around 12:45 a.m. at 40-15 81 Street, according to a report citing the FDNY, with the address sitting between Roosevelt Avenue and 41st Avenue in the heart of Elmhurst. CBS News New York also reported that the FDNY responded to the fire on 81st Street overnight.
The department sent a substantial force to handle the blaze, with 79 fire and EMS personnel responding to the fire, per the same account. One firefighter sustained minor injuries and was taken to a local hospital, and two other people were also taken to a local hospital after sustaining minor injuries, the report said.
Conflicting Injury Counts Surface
Not every account of the incident lines up on exactly how many people were hurt. While the fuller report describes a firefighter and two other people injured, a separate summary of the same incident stated that one person and one firefighter were injured in the fire that broke out in Elmhurst on Tuesday morning, according to the FDNY. The discrepancy between those two counts has not been resolved.
Firefighters managed to get the flames under control relatively quickly. The fire was brought under control around 1:55 a.m. Tuesday, roughly an hour after it was first reported, bringing an end to the overnight response in the residential pocket of Elmhurst.
What Happens Next
Investigations into the fire were ongoing, with no additional details yet released about what sparked the blaze. Neighbors in the area between Roosevelt and 41st Avenues can expect continued scrutiny of the scene as fire officials work to determine the circumstances behind the overnight emergency.
