By Ivan Pereira
Tenants of a Ozone Park apartment building said they believe a three-alarm fire that destroyed their homes Monday evening may have stemmed from a fight the night before between a couple who lived on the second floor.
One firefighter was treated for minor injuries following the blaze that severely damaged the three-story apartment building at 86-08 101st Ave. the Fire Department said. The fire started around 4 p.m. on the second floor of the building, according to the FDNY.
Lynette Hernandez, who lived on the third floor, said she had heard a loud argument Sunday night between a man and a woman, both of whom were living in the apartment where the fire started.
“She was just screaming his name all night. I called the police,” said Hernandez, 38, who escaped the blaze with her son Mason, 16, four pet birds and pit bull.
Firefighters said they were still investigating the cause of the blaze Monday night. The tenants in the apartment where the fire began could not be reached for comment.
Leroy Johnson, 41, who said he lived next to the apartment where the fire started, said he also saw his neighbors fight the night before and said it got very ugly.
“When I came home last night, I saw the [woman] leaving in a taxi and the [man] was at the window screaming obscenities,” Johnson recalled.
Johnson’s roommate, Kahilid Boston, 28, said the couple lived next door for almost a year and had periodic fights. He and his fellow neighbors were taken to local shelters, according to the FDNY.
Reach reporter Ivan Pereira by e-mail at ipereira@timesledger.com or by phone at 718-229-0300, Ext. 146.
