Firefighter Struck by Falling AC Unit, 5 Others Injured in Blaze That Displaced 30 Families

Five firefighters and one civilian were injured in a five-alarm fire that tore through a multi-family home in Queens early Tuesday morning.

At a press conference shared by the Fire Department of New York on Tuesday, Jan. 6, Mayor Zohran Mamdani and city officials said the blaze marked the second five-alarm fire of the new year. No deaths were reported in either incident.

The fire started just before 3:25 a.m. on the first floor of a building on Madison Street near Seneca Avenue, according to ABC 7 NY. More than 270 first responders rushed to the scene to battle the flames.

“We eventually had fire on all floors,” FDNY Chief of Department John Esposito said, adding that the intensity of the blaze caused the roof to collapse on the top floor.

Four nearby buildings were evacuated as a precaution. Several firefighters suffered minor injuries, including one who was struck in the head by an air conditioner that fell from a window, Esposito said. That firefighter was taken to a hospital for treatment. The injured civilian was transported to New York-Presbyterian Queens Hospital, ABC 7 NY reported.

In a statement posted on the FDNY’s Facebook page, Chief of EMS Operations Paul Miano confirmed that all six injured individuals were treated for minor injuries.

Nearly 30 families were displaced by the fire, with the American Red Cross assisting residents affected by the evacuation.

Jaelene Gomez told CBS News she was awakened in the middle of the night as first responders moved through the building urging residents to leave.

“It was like 3 a.m. I just woke up. In the shaft you hear popping. And I’m like, ‘What is that?’ And then the firemen started knocking on our AC and our window, saying, ‘Oh my God, there’s a fire. You gotta get out,’” she said.

Another resident, Joann Pucaria, said she was grateful to escape safely with her daughter. “I’m glad me and my daughter got out. Things can be replaced, but it’s hard. You gotta start all over from nothing,” she said.

Officials did not immediately share the cause of the Queens fire. However, Mamdani noted that during a separate five-alarm fire in the Bronx on Monday, Jan. 5, emergency crews were delayed by vehicles double-parked in front of fire hydrants.

Despite those challenges, the mayor praised firefighters and emergency personnel for preventing any loss of life.

“To have two five-alarm fires without a loss of life is a testament to the incredible work of the first responders in this city,” Mamdani said. “Some of the same firefighters here today were in the Bronx yesterday. We are asking the world of them, and we are deeply thankful for their commitment to keeping people safe.”

The cause of the Queens fire remains under investigation by FDNY fire marshals.