By Karen Frantz
A fire broke out in a six-story apartment complex in Jamaica Estates Tuesday morning and witnesses said the blaze claimed the life of a tenant and injured his elderly mother.
The FDNY said the fire occurred in a second-floor apartment at 182-30 Wexford Terrace around 5:12 a.m. A spokesman for the FDNY said it took 60 firefighters more than 40 minutes to bring the blaze under control.
The spokesman confirmed that one person had died in the fire and another was seriously injured. Two others sustained non-serious injuries, and a firefighter was taken to Queens General Hospital for treatment, he said.
A man who did not want to give his name said the resident who died in the fire was in his mid-60s and that his mother, who lived with him, survived but was taken to the hospital with injuries.
A detective at the scene said the fire appeared to be accidental.
Reach reporter Karen Frantz by e-mail at kfrantz@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-260-4538.
