A total of 18 people were injured after a fire broke out in the basement of a Kew Gardens Hills residence on Wednesday, according to authorities.
According to the FDNY, the fire started in the basement of the tw0-story home, located at 147-07 72nd Drive, at about 2:06 p.m. on Jan. 25.
Twelve units and 60 fire and EMS personnel responded to the scene, according to an FDNY spokesperson, who noted that the fire was contained by 2:45 p.m.
“A couple minutes after 2 p.m., we got a call for a fire in a basement at 147-07 72nd Drive. Companies arrived and found heavy fire in the basement. Firefighters removed some pediatric patients from the building, including one from the fire area in the basement. The fire was under control within 40 minutes and was confined to the basement,” said FDNY Chief of Operations John Esposito.
FDNY Deputy Assistant Chief Stacy Scanlon said 18 people were injured in the fire, but only one was hospitalized.
“We had a total of 18 patients removed from the building, one was in critical condition and removed to the hospital,” Scanlon said. “The other 17 were stable and refused medical attention on the scene, all pediatrics.”
FDNY fire marshals said a lithium-ion battery was identified as the cause of the fire.
Editor’s note: This story was updated at 7:40 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 26.
