NEW YORK (1010 WINS) – Two firefighters suffered serious injuries after they became trapped when part of a building collapsed during a four-alarm fire in Queens early Saturday morning.
The fire broke out around 2:15 a.m. in a commercial building at 111-46 Springfield Blvd. in Queens Village, according to the FDNY.
Over 200 fire and EMS members responded to the scene, which is a strip of stores, salons and restaurants. Images from the FDNY show heavy smoke in the area.
The trapped firefighters had stretched a hose to the back of the building and were working about 10 feet inside the structure when a portion of the roof collapsed, Assistant FDNY Chief Joseph Jardin said.
"Initially, there was a mayday transmission that occurred alerting our members on the scene that we did have a member or members in distress," Jardin said.
A search team found the firefighters under a section of heavy roof and quickly pulled them to safety, with fire burning close by, Jardin said.
"They discovered the member under about a 20-by-20-foot section of wood joisted roof, so a heavy section of roof, with fire in proximity of where the member was trapped," he said.
The trapped firefighters had serious but non-life-threatening injuries.
The third firefighter suffered minor injuries.
"One member had burns as part of his injuries," Jardin said.
The fire was brought under control just before 5:30 a.m. Four businesses were destroyed.
Carol D
Beatriz Beauty Hair Salon was among the businesses destroyed.
Rafael Torres said it was his wife's business that she's worked really hard at.
"Heartbroken, heartbroken, because that really is my wife's profession, and she has been doing this since she was 16 years old," he said.
Still, Torres said they can rebuild the business and it's more important that the firefighters survived.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
