More than 200 firefighters battled a massive five-alarm fire at a plumbing and electrical warehouse in Richmond Hill Wednesday evening, according to FDNY.
The blaze broke out at 138-18 101st Ave. at around 6:45 p.m. on March 30, and the first units began arriving on the scene three minutes later, finding heavy smoke conditions at the one-story commercial building that housed a shop and an industrial warehouse. Firefighters were forced to conduct a defensive attack due to the threat of a structural collapse, according to the FDNY.
FDNY members are currently operating at a 4-alarm fire at 138-18 101 Avenue in Queens. pic.twitter.com/4NvhFJuUWO
— FDNY (@FDNY) March 31, 2022
Firefighters had to deal with water pressure issues with the hydrant mainline, according to FDNY Acting Chief of Department John Hodgens, but the Department of Environmental Protection solved that and FDNY used five hose lines to battle the blaze. There was a second challenge, as personnel struggled to arrive on the scene, due to parked cars blocking access to arriving units.
“Sometimes we have to move cars,” Hodgens said. “We usually use tow trucks and we also use our own equipment to move them. We need to get the apparatus close to the building to be effective.”
FDNY Acting Chief of Department John Hodgens provides an update on last night’s 5-alarm fire at 138-18 101 Avenue in Queens. Read more: https://t.co/I52SVKTLti pic.twitter.com/LipNtyEjJp
— FDNY (@FDNY) March 31, 2022
He added that the warehouse did have a partial collapse to parts of the interior.
The fire went to five alarms, dispatching 44 units and more than 200 firefighters and EMS personnel. Five tower ladders were deployed and the blaze was brought under control at 1:11 a.m. Thursday morning, with two minor injuries to firefighters. One was transported to an area hospital and the other was treated at the scene, according to an FDNY spokesman.
An investigation by the FDNY fire marshals office into the cause of the inferno is underway.
Additional reporting by Lloyd Mitchell.
