NEW YORK (1010 WINS) — An 83-year-old man was killed in a fast-moving fire at a Queens residential building on Sunday night, an incident where FDNY officials say their rescue efforts were significantly hampered by frozen and blocked equipment.
According to authorities, the push to combat the flames was delayed because one hydrant at the scene was frozen and inoperable due to the cold, while a second hydrant was blocked by a parked car, preventing the immediate access to a water supply needed to gain control of the blaze.
The blaze broke out at a residence on 78th Street in Elmhurst just before 7:30 p.m., quickly spreading through the structure and filling the interior with thick smoke.
Firefighters managed to locate the man in a rear bedroom and pulled him from the building. First responders immediately performed CPR and rushed him to an area hospital where he was pronounced dead upon arrival.
Crews were eventually able to bring the fire under control about an hour later. It is unclear what caused the fire and an investigation remains ongoing.
It was the second fatal fire in Elmhurst in less than a week after a mother and her newborn daughter perished in a suspected illegal basement apartment on Dongan Avenue on the night of Monday, Feb. 9. Miguelina Alcantara, 34, was pronounced dead at the scene by EMS