NEW YORK (1010 WINS) — A devastating three-alarm blaze erupted in Queens over the weekend, starting in a first-floor tire shop before tearing through residential apartments on the second floor.
The fire broke out around 4 a.m. on Saturday at 19-05 Flushing Ave. in Ridgewood and proved difficult for the FDNY to manage due to the highly combustible nature of the rubber stock.
"You put water on it, but it continues to burn," FDNY Assistant Chief David Sims told 1010 WINS.
Building manager Jesus Maldonado expressed relief that all tenants managed to escape but noted that the other tenants are "devastated" because "they've lost everything." He recalled the severity of the situation. "The smoke just pushed me back, it was so black and heavy."
The fire resulted in minor injuries to nine, including four firefighters and five tenants who were treated for smoke inhalation and minor burns.
The American Red Cross remained on-site providing emergency assistance to the eight households displaced by the blaze.
Fire marshals are investigating the exact cause of the fire.