Flames rip through four-story apartment house in Astoria

Chilly neighbors helplessly watched from the street as flames engulfed an apartment house in Astoria on the late hours of Feb. 21.

The blaze began on the third floor of four-story residential building on the corner of 21st Avenue and 33rd Street at approximately 9:05 p.m. on Thursday, according to the FDNY, which classified the fire as an “all-hands,” one-alarm incident.

Just minutes after that, the vicious flames shot out of a third-story window on the building’s rear side above an alleyway closer to Ditmars Boulevard, as one EMS worker scurried into the lobby of the complex on 33rd Street.

He was one of 60 responders spread amongst 12 units. Only one of those FDNY members suffered minor injuries while no civilians were reported hurt.

Those 12 units were spread as far south as Ditmars Boulevard and west as 31st Street, running hoses up and down the populated roadways.

Ladder Company 154 was also used for vertical support to douse the flames, which as under control by 10:15, according to the FDNY.  

Just hours after the fire, the 33rd Street building still had power as units on multiple floors had lights on. That building was also under scaffolding on its 33rd Street side prior to the combustion.

New York’s Bravest stated that the cause of the all hands fire is still under investigation.