Fire in Queens injures 17 firefighters and several others, damages multiple buildings

A fire in Queens, New York City, injured 17 firefighters, two Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel, and two civilians on Saturday. The Fire Department of New York (FDNY) received reports of the fire just before 10 a.m. at a two-story wooden building. Upon arrival, firefighters found two buildings fully engulfed in flames, with the fire spreading to a third building. FDNY Chief of Fire Operations Kevin Woods stated that rescuers reached the second floor above the fire under high heat and zero visibility to rescue a trapped resident. All injured individuals were transported to the hospital, and none sustained life-threatening injuries. The fifth-alarm fire, which involved 250 firefighters, caused significant damage to the buildings, displacing many families. The residences, built in 1930 and made entirely of wood, suffered heavy damage. The fire is now under control, and the cause is under investigation.