8-Alarm Jackson Heights Fire 'Could Have Been Avoided,' FDNY Says

JACKSON HEIGHTS, QUEENS — An eight-alarm fire in Jackson Heights on Tuesday, which hurt 25 people and displaced about 240 from their homes, could possibly have been avoided had a door been shut, fire officials said.

The fire, which started a couple minutes after 1 p.m., broke out in the loft and top floor of a six-story building at 89-07 34th Ave., FDNY officials said.

When firefighters first got to the building, the apartment door was open, which worsened the blaze, according to Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro.

"The fire spread out into the hallway, the units were unable to make a quick advance," he said at an afternoon press conference on Tuesday. "What we see now is a seven-alarm that possibly could have been avoided."

The blaze quickly grew from a three-alarm fire to an eight-alarm fire. It spread from the west side of the building to the east side, at 89-11 34th Ave., said Nigro.

"This building houses about 150 apartments. Right now we have 90 families displaced, about 240 civilians," said Deputy Assistant Chief Michael Gala at a press conference on Tuesday night.

Shortly after midnight on Wednesday, after battling the blaze for roughly 11 hours, FDNY officials annouced that the fire was under control.

As of Wednesday morning, 25 people were hurt, including six civilians and 19 firefighters — a majority of whom were transported to local hospitals for sprains and strains, Gala said, adding that at least two were taken to the Weill Cornell Medicine Burn Center on the Upper East Side.

Of the six civilians who were hurt, only two were taken to the hospital, fire officials said.

FDNY officials said all 25 people all had non-life threatening injuries.

At the height of the fire, over 350 firefighters were fighting the blaze, Gala said. NYPD, the Red Cross, and New York City Emergency Management also supported on the ground.

Fire marshals are investigating the cause of the fire, which remains unknown, said Gala.