12 Firefighters Hurt in Massive Queens Blaze, Probe Underway

East Elmhurst, Queens, saw chaos erupt Sunday evening when a fast-moving blaze engulfed two homes on 93rd Street, drawing a four-alarm response from the FDNY. At least 14 patients were treated at the scene, including 12 firefighters and two civilians, with one firefighter suffering serious but non-life-threatening injuries. Three firefighters required hospitalization, fire officials confirmed.

The fire escalated rapidly, prompting a second alarm as flames spread to a third nearby home, causing minor damage there alongside severe destruction to the primary structures. No deaths were reported, but the intensity forced dozens of firefighters into harm's way amid heavy smoke and structural threats. FDNY crews battled the blaze for hours, containing it without further spread.

A separate early Sunday incident in South Ozone Park added to Queens' fire emergencies, though unrelated to the East Elmhurst blaze. NYPD officers responding to a 911 call about a domestic dispute at a home on 130th Street encountered 50-year-old Anroop Parasram, who carried canisters into the basement amid reports of a gas odor. An explosion triggered a five-alarm fire, injuring eight officers with minor injuries and displacing 16 residents aided by the Red Cross; Parasram remains at large.

Investigators from the FDNY and NYPD are probing both events, with no cause yet determined for the East Elmhurst fire. These back-to-back emergencies highlight ongoing challenges in Queens' dense residential neighborhoods, where aging homes and rapid fire spread test first responders.