According to Deputy Assistant Chief Michael Gala of the New York Fire Department (FDNY), a total of 21 people were injured in the fire. The injured include 16 firefighters, two who suffered burns and five civilians, according to Gala. None of them face life-threatening injuries.
According to Gala, the building houses about 150 apartments. About 240 people, or 90 families, have been displaced by the fire, Gala said. The Red Cross is on site and helps those families.
The fire was found in an apartment on the sixth floor of the building and quickly spread to the area between the apartment’s ceiling and the roof, known as the cockloft, according to the FDNY.
The occupant of the apartment has fled the fire and left the door open, according to the FDNY. Because the door was left open, the fire spread to the hallway and spread much faster, the FDNY said. The fire consumed one side of the building, Gala said.
Video of the scene shows thick smoke rising from the roof of the red building in the Jackson Heights neighborhood.
Another resident, Kimberly Singhi, said she “got scared because everything went black.”
“I took my mom, I took my dog and the pets we have, and we just ran away,” Singhi told WABC.
FDNY continues to fight the fire from the outside. The cause and origin of the fire will be determined by the fire chief when they can enter the building, fire officials said.
While providing on-site updates, firefighters stressed the importance of closing doors if a fire breaks out in your home. This will help keep the fire from spreading.
“Over the years we have emphasized the seriousness of when there is unfortunately a fire in your house or apartment, how important it is to close that door,” FDNY Commissioner Daniel Nigro told WABC, an affiliate of CNN.