JAMAICA, QUEENS – A devastating fire in a crowded Jamaica Estates home early Sunday morning claimed the lives of three men and left one person critically injured. Firefighters and emergency responders rushed to the scene, battling through the cluttered residence to rescue occupants and bring the blaze under control.
The fire broke out shortly after 1:30 a.m. on Chevy Chase Street near Cambridge Road. The residence, home to multiple families living within makeshift partitions, presented significant challenges for both residents and rescuers. Clogged hallways and blocked exits hindered efforts to escape and rescue.
Fire Commissioner Robert Tucker and Chief of Department John Esposito confirmed that the home lacked working smoke detectors, a critical safety lapse. The fire spread across all four levels of the house, including the basement, first and second floors, and the attic. Two men reportedly jumped from the attic to escape the flames.
More than 100 firefighters and emergency personnel responded to the call, taking approximately 90 minutes to bring the fire under control. Alongside the fatalities, four other residents sustained non-life-threatening injuries, while four firefighters also suffered minor injuries.
Investigators have pointed to numerous extension cords and blocked exits as contributing factors to the chaos. The absence of proper maintenance and safety upgrades in the aging property has raised concerns about the landlord’s negligence.
A second-floor resident, who was not home at the time of the fire, expressed frustration over the ongoing issues within the house. “It’s an old house, and the landlord hasn’t been maintaining it,” he said. “I believe this tragedy happened due to negligence.”
The Red Cross is assisting the displaced residents while fire marshals continue to investigate the fire’s origin, which is suspected to have started on the first floor. The cause of the fire remains under investigation, with authorities working to piece together the sequence of events that led to the tragedy.