Firefighter hurt by falling air conditioner in Queens five-alarm blaze

People reports six people, including a firefighter, were hospitalized after a five-alarm fire at 1824 Madison Street in Queens on Tuesday, Jan. 6. The fire began on the first floor of a multi‑family home near Seneca Avenue just before 3:25 a.m., ABC 7 NY reported. Chief of Department John Esposito, FDNY, said crews faced flames on all floors and that the roof collapsed on the top floor; more than 270 first responders worked at the scene.

Esposito said one firefighter was struck in the head by an air conditioner that fell from a window and was taken to a hospital, though the chief did not specify which; an injured resident was taken to New York‑Presbyterian Queens Hospital. Chief of EMS Operations Paul Miano said all six were treated for "minor injuries." Almost 30 families have been displaced, with the American Red Cross assisting those affected.

The cause of the fire was not shared during the press conference and remains under investigation by FDNY Fire Marshals. Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who noted the city has seen two five‑alarm fires in as many days, said when he was at the scene of a five‑alarm fire in the Bronx on Monday, Jan.

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World, Fdny, Zohran Mamdani, John Esposito, Paul Miano, Madison Street