Four firefighters were injured battling a fast-moving house fire near Roosevelt Avenue in Elmhurst on Monday.
The FDNY received a call at 11:30 a.m. of a fire on the first floor of a 2.5-story wood-frame home at 40-33 Gleane St. The occupants of the home escaped the flames and evacuated the home before units arrived on the scene in approximately four minutes and encountered heavy fire that had spread rapidly through the structure and a neighboring home at 40-37 Gleane St.
“Upon arrival, we found heavy fire on the second floor, attic and through the roof,” FDNY Deputy Chief Jeffrey Meister said. “There was a slight extension to the exposure building on the right.”
A second alarm was transmitted at 11:42 a.m., bringing a total of 25 units and 106 firefighters and EMS personnel to the location. Four firefighters were transported to Elmhurst Hospital with minor injuries. The fire was brought under control at 12:56 p.m. FDNY fire marshals will determine the cause of the blaze.
Inspectors from the city’s Department of Buildings were called to conduct a structural stability inspection of 40-33 Gleane St. and found extensive fire damage, including charred wood joists and a staircase on the second floor that had been rendered unusable by the fire. Some fire damage was also observed on the siding on 40-37 Gleane St. As a result, DOB issued a full vacate order to 40-33 Gleane St. and a partial vacate order to the driveway of 40-37 Gleane St.
DOB also issued a violation to the building owner of 40-33 Gleane St. for failure to comply with an active partial vacate order, which had been issued in 2012 due to illegal conversions, and the property owner was ordered to hire a professional engineer to submit a report to DOB to evaluate the structural stability of the property.
The American Red Cross dispatched a team to the location. They registered five displaced households, including ten adults and two children, for emergency assistance, including temporary lodging and financial assistance. Any residents impacted by the fire who need help with their recovery and have not already connected with the Red Cross should call 1-877-RED CROSS (877-733-2767) and select Option 1.
