A man and woman were killed when fire engulfed their heavily cluttered illegal apartment in a detached garage in Jamaica on Saturday morning, officials said.
The FDNY received a call of a blaze behind a house at 172-27 91st Ave. in Jamaica just after 6:30 a.m. and dispatched 12 units and 60 firefighters to the scene between 173rd Street and 172nd Street where they found the fire had ripped through a two-story garage.
The fire was brought under control at 7:30 a.m., and a man and woman were found unconscious and unresponsive inside the burned-out garage. EMS pronounced the two civilians dead at the scene. Their identities are pending proper family notification, and FDNY fire marshals will determine the cause of the blaze.
Inspectors from the city’s Department of Buildings responded to the location after the fire was extinguished to conduct structural stability inspections on the 3-story residence and the detached garage. They found that the garage sustained extensive structural damage, including charred wood joists, collapsed walls, a collapsed ceiling, and broken windows.
The fire did not extend to the home, which was undamaged during the blaze.
The DOB inspectors found illegal apartments had been created at the property, including in the detached garage where the fire originated.
The illegal apartments in the garage and cellar were converted without permits or approvals from DOB, and both were found to have inadequate ventilation and no second means of egress.
As a result of the damage, DOB issued full vacate orders at the house and garage and issued two violations to the building owner for the illegally converted garage. DOB also issued violations for work without a permit and illegal occupancy to the building owner for the illegal dwelling in the cellar of the 3-story home.
