JACKSON HEIGHTS, Queens. –– An eight-alarm fire tore through an apartment building in Queens Tuesday afternoon, injuring 21 and displacing more than 200 residents.
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The fire broke out shortly after 1 p.m. Tuesday, reportedly on the top floor of the six-story building on 34th Avenue in Jackson Heights. The flames soon spread through the attic.
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About 400 FDNY members attended the fire, which burned late into the night. Authorities say the FDNY will be on the scene overnight and for the next several days.
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Commissioner Daniel Nigro said it would take a long time to bring the fire under control.
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“This is very difficult for our members, very exhausting,” he said, explaining that a door in the building had been left open. “The occupant fled and left the door open. We have insisted over the years on the seriousness of this. If unfortunately there is a fire in the house, it is important to close that door because the fire spreads to the hallway and the units do not they can advance quickly. “
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Images posted on social media showed flames coming out of the windows and smoke escaping from the roof of the building.
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Members of the FDNY were still at the scene late Tuesday night, with 130 units and more than 400 firefighters and first responders at the scene, according to reports.
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At least five civilians and 16 firefighters suffered non-life threatening injuries, according to the FDNY.
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Some 90 families were displaced due to the fire, adding up to more than 200 people.
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It is still unknown what caused the fire in the first place.
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This is the work of the Salvation Army to help New Yorkers in times of pandemic
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