One Dead, Another Critically Injured as Massive Fire Tears through Queens Home

A raging four-alarm fire ripped through a residential home in Queens on Monday evening, killing a 34-year-old woman and injuring eight others, including a 22-year-old man left in critical condition and two firefighters with minor injuries.

The blaze broke out around 6:44 p.m. at a home on Dongan Avenue in Elmhurst. Flames started on the first floor (with one neighbor reporting smoke coming from the basement) and quickly spread through the building, reaching the roof and extending to neighboring homes on both sides. Thick smoke filled the block as towering flames lit up the cold night sky.

More than 200 firefighters and EMS personnel responded to the four-alarm fire. One firefighter briefly fell through the first-floor level during operations but was rescued safely. The fire remained stubborn for hours, with crews still battling it late into the evening.

In total, nine people were hurt in the incident. The 34-year-old woman was pronounced dead at the scene. A 22-year-old man was rushed to a hospital in critical condition. Five other civilians suffered minor injuries, along with the two firefighters.

Neighbors described the terrifying scene. One resident, Subash Gurung, said his mother spotted smoke coming from the basement and screamed, prompting the family to call 911. “A cold night, it’s terrible,” he added, noting that smoke had filled his own apartment and officials warned that affected buildings might need to be torn down.

Another nearby resident, Caitlin Clarke, recalled: “I was watching a show with my mom, I was opening a fruit, and then I’m like, ‘Mom, do you smell that smoke?’ I stand up and run to the door, and then there’s smoke at the end of the block with flames coming out of it. I haven’t seen anything like this in a long time. This is like something I would see in my history book.”

The cause remains under investigation.