ELMHURST, Queens — Nine firefighters were injured while battling a fire at an Elmhurst apartment building that left dozens displaces, officials said Monday.
Flames broke out Sunday around 11:22 p.m. on 41st Avenue between 80th and 81st streets, FDNY said.
The top floor of the seven-story building was overtaken by flames as firefighters responded.
Nine firefighters were injured, FDNY said. Six of the firefighters were hospitalized, and three refused medical attention.
The extent of their injuries is not known, but all are expected to be OK, officials said.
The fire was put out overnight, but left dozens displaced, according to FDNY and residents.
“My apartment is destroyed. Everything’s destroyed,” resident Nikola Canong said. “Luckily, it was only the front part. All the back part is where I keep all my stuff, and that’s ok, but I have no roof or ceiling.”
Another resident,12-year-old Ajmain Aoion, said his family was left without a home and his mother is so shaken, she had to be hospitalized.
“We saw flames, and we saw smoke,” Aoion said.
That’s when, he said, the family fled.
“(Then) all of a sudden it’s like, nothing left.”
The American Red Cross responded to the scene and assisted two families with housing by Monday morning.
Anyone affected by the fire who has not yet connected with the Red Cross is asked to call 877-Red-Cross.
