A fire at a St. Albans apartment building left one teenager dead and two women fighting for their lives on Wednesday night.
According to authorities, at 8:30 p.m. on Dec. 26, police responded to a 911 call regarding a fire at 123-27 Merrick Blvd. Fire Department units arrived on the scene and pulled three women, aged 16, 56 and 76, from the third-floor of the building.
Firefighters got the fire under control by 9:13 p.m., according to authorities. At this time, it is unclear what caused the fire or if the building had smoke detectors.
The 16-year-old girl, who has been identified as Lamonies Smith, and the 56-year-old woman, whom police say is Smith’s mother, were taken by EMS to NYC Health and Hospitals/Queens. Smith was pronounced dead and her mother was listed in critical condition.
The 76-year-old woman, who reports indicated was Smith’s neighbor, was taken to Jamaica Hospital in serious condition. Two firefighters also suffered minor injuries from the fire.
FDNY marshals are investigating the cause of the blaze.
