A nine-year-old boy died and three others were injured in a two-alarm house fire in Queens on Sunday morning, police reported.
Fire Department sources said the blaze broke out at about 6:25 a.m. on July 11 inside adjoining residences at 69-33 and 69-37 Hillmeyer Ave. in Arverne.
More than 100 firefighters from 25 FDNY units responded to the blaze along with officers from the 100th Precinct and EMS units.
While searching the residence for victims, law enforcement sources reported, firefighters found the 9-year-old victim with burns and smoke inhalation.
According to the NYPD, EMS rushed the victim to St. John’s Episcopal Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Police have withheld the boy’s identity, pending family notification.
Three other victims found inside the burning home were also taken to St. John’s Episcopal Hospital, and are recovering from their injuries, Fire Department sources said.
Firefighters brought the blaze under control at about 7:28 a.m. on July 11. The cause of the fire is now under investigation by FDNY marshals.
In a post to its Twitter account, the Uniformed Firefighters Association (UFA), which represents FDNY firefighters, reported that “rescue teams were met with heavy cluttered conditions which made it extremely difficult to navigate the engulfed home.”
“Our thoughts and prayers are with this young man’s family as this is a situation that no one ever wants to go through,” the UFA added.
