One man was killed when a three-alarm fire engulfed a Queens home on Sunday morning, Fire Department sources said.
The blaze ignited just before 11 a.m. on March 2 at a two-story residence located at 116-50 146th St. in Jamaica.
Engine Company 275 and Ladder Company 133 were the first to arrive on the scene. They encountered heavy fire spreading throughout the home and an attached dwelling.
While searching through the heavy smoke, firefighters came across one critically injured man, believed to be 55 years of age, who suffered from smoke inhalation and burns. They were able to pull the man out of the residence and transferred him to waiting paramedics.
EMS rushed the man to Jamaica Hospital, where he was pronounced dead a short time later, according to sources.
Five other people, including three firefighters, suffered minor injuries, according to the Fire Department.
Firefighters had a hard time battling the fire itself due to gusty conditions. “The wind really took a hold of the fire,” one firefighter at the scene said.
“The whole back of both buildings was bright orange, and smoke was blowing strong,” a neighbor who witnessed the blaze said.
Things got dicey when firefighters found a propane tank burning in the backyard of one of the dwellings. Members of HazMat Unit 1 rushed from their Maspeth headquarters to safely remove the device.
Firefighters also recovered a lithium-ion battery at the scene, and are working to determine if that played a role in the blaze.
In all, more than 140 firefighters participated in the operation, using six hose lines to knock down the main body of fire, which was placed under control at about 12:15 p.m. Sunday.
The cause is now under investigation by FDNY Marshals.
