By Tiffany Williams –
Queens — Just before 12:30 p.m. Monday, the FDNY rushed to a devastating 4-alarm fire at 44-49 College Point Boulevard in Queens. Four people died, and two others were transported to nearby hospitals in critical condition.
During the chaos, a stairwell collapsed, trapping two FDNY members. They were rescued and transported to hospitals in stable condition. More than 230 firefighters and EMS personnel responded to the scene.
“This is a difficult and tragic day. There were several victims in this fire. The Fire Department did an extraordinary job under difficult circumstances, putting this fire out and saving people. I can’t thank them enough for their continued efforts and commitment to life safety,” said Fire Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore.
“Upon arrival, we had heavy fire on all three floors of this building. There was a victim trapped on the second floor, which our members removed with a portable ladder. As our engine companies were moving in from the first floor and up the stairs to the second floor, the stairs collapsed, and those two members were trapped in the stairs. With additional help, we were able to extricate those members. As all that is happening, other members are performing CPR on the victims in the street,” said Chief of Fire Operations Kevin Woods.
The fire was brought under control just before 2:45 p.m. FDNY Fire Marshals are actively investigating the cause.