Senator Joseph P. Addabbo, jr. Statement on the Fire Destruction of O’Neill’s in Maspeth

NYS Senator Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr. (D-Queens), released the following statement today on the fire that destroyed O’Neill’s in Maspeth (in business since 1928):

I was saddened to learn of the fire damage and closure of O’Neill’s. It is my intention, and that of my office staff, to offer our assistance to repair and re-open O’Neill’s as soon as possible in order to restore this historic restaurant and bar, which for decades, had served so many satisfied customers and had been a place of employment for dozens of individuals. I am hopeful that this popular Maspeth icon will be up and running in the very near future.

Council Member Crowley Statement on Fire that Burned Down O'Neills Restaurant

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Council Member Elizabeth Crowley (D-30, Queens) stated: "O'Neill's Restaurant has been a staple in Maspeth and has served the people of Queens for almost a century. Last night's tragic fire was a loss for the whole community and serves as a reminder that, no matter how bad the budget is, it remains critically important to protect our fire services."

Remembering Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire with Serf Maltese - wnyc radio

Serf Maltese shares memories of his grandmother and two aunts who were amung the 146 victims of the 1911.

Correction Department Mechanic Edward Clas Saves Three in Queens Fire by Adam Lisberg - NY Daily News

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Edward Clas with his 15-year-old daughter Kendall. Gabel for News

A hero Correction Department mechanic saved two children and an elderly woman when he ran into a neighbor's burning house and pulled everyone to safety even before the fire trucks arrived.

"I didn't even think about it - I just ran inside the house," Edward Clas, 51, a father of three in Ozone Park, Queens, told the Daily News. "I remember feeling the heat from the fire."

More than 130 firefighters responded to the three-alarm blaze on 86th St., which left two homes gutted, but no one injured.

Clas was home Wednesday afternoon when his 15-year-old daughter, Kendall, smelled smoke. When he ran to neighbor Georgina Gonzalez's house, someone yelled that children were trapped inside.

"About 10 feet inside the door was a little boy, about 3 years old, just standing there," said Clas, a 15-year Correction Department veteran. "I grabbed him and I ran out of the front of the house."

When Clas ran back inside, he found a 4-year-old boy standing scared in the middle of the stairs, and carried him to safety as well before heading back up the stairs. "I got to the top and I could hear a woman screaming," Clas said. He found an elderly woman trying to get something out of a closet, and put his hands on her shoulders to get her to leave before it was too late.

"When I stepped out onto the landing, that was when I got scared," Clas said. "The smoke had turned black. It was like someone turned out the light."

Clas was able to find his way down the stairs and to the front door through the choking smoke.

He said Gonzalez, an NYPD sergeant who works in Brooklyn's 77th Precinct, lost everything in the blaze - but all of her relatives were alive and well.

The flames also spread to the house of the Ramroop family next door.

"Everything was lost," Neil Ramroop said.

Clas, a shop steward for the mechanics who maintain Correction Department vehicles at Rikers Island, can expect to be honored at the department's next Medal Day, a department source said.

Blaze Ignites in Howard Beach - Leader-Observer

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Firefighters battled a three-alarm fire in the weeds at 160th Avenue and 83rd Street in Howard Beach. on Saturday afternoon. According to an FDNY spokesperson, 33 units and 138 firefighters battled the extensive blaze for over an hour until it was brought under control at 5 p.m. The cause of the fire is unknown and is under investigation. (Photo by Nick Beneduce)

Fire Allegedly Started by Child Destroys Two Homes in Ozone Park, Queens - 7online.com

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Investigators say a child sparked a fire that destroyed two homes in Queens.

The fire happened around 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday (April 14th) at 108-8? 86th Street in Ozone Park and spread next door.

Witness told firefighters that they saw an 11-year-old boy playing with fire behind the houses.

It's not yet clear if he lived in one of the homes.

No word on whether he'll face charges.

A firefighter and one other person suffered minor injuries.

More than a dozen people were left homeless.

Councilman Recchia Sets Up Bensonhurst Fire Victims Fund

To assist the families affected by the devastating fire in Bensonhurst, Councilman Domenic M. Recchia, Jr., with the support of Council Speaker Christine Quinn and Mayor Michael Bloomberg, has joined with the Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty to set up the Bensonhurst Fire Victims Fund.

Since the fire early Saturday morning, Councilman Recchia has been meeting with the families, the Guatemalan consulate and local community leaders, including William Lombardo, owner of the Coney Island Memorial Funeral Home, who has generously agreed to help cover the funeral services.

“These families lost everything they had,” said Councilman Recchia. “Many of them have only the clothes on their backs, and they need our help. New Yorkers consistently show a charitable spirit when tragedy strikes. We need that charitable spirit right now. I am asking New Yorkers to dig deep into their pockets and help however they can.”

Checks should be made out to “Bensonhurst Fire Victims Fund c/o Met Council” and sent to:

Bensonhurst Fire Victims Fund

c/o Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty

80 Maiden Lane

New York, NY 10038

The fund will be accepting donations to help pay for shelter, clothes, food and other funeral costs for families impacted by the blaze.

“I’m honored to join forces with Councilman Recchia, Mayor Bloomberg and the Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty to help the victims of this devastating fire,” said Speaker Christine C. Quinn. “New Yorkers have come together to generously help those in need in times of tragedy before, and I want to encourage all New Yorkers to do the same for the families affected by this horrific fire.”

“Last weekend’s tragic fire in Bensonhurst took five lives and left many others in dire need of our help,” said Mayor Bloomberg. “Working together, our Community Affairs Unit, City Council and community organizations like the Met Council is helping these families get the support they need to get their lives back on track. Fire marshals and police investigators acted swiftly and made an arrest yesterday."

“Tragedies do not discriminate - they can happen to anyone at any time,” said Rep. Michael McMahon. “As we've seen recently in Haiti, however, in moments of tragedy what matters is how we come together. This horrific fire not only makes us realize how fortunate we are, it also moves us to unite and help the members of our community who have lost everything. The people of Brooklyn are known for their generosity and I hope that everyone will help in whatever way they can. There is no donation too small.”

“I commend my colleague, Domenic Recchia, for his leadership in establishing this fund to help those who need it the most right now,” said Council Member Elizabeth Crowley, Chair of the Fire & Criminal Justice Committee. “I encourage all New Yorkers to give what they can, and to also take this as an opportunity to make sure their smoke detectors are working properly."

NYC Confirms Dispatch Error During Deadly Queens Fire by AP - Newsday

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Authorities say an emergency dispatcher’s keystroke error sent fire trucks toward the wrong address during a blaze that killed three people in Queens.

Authorities say an emergency dispatcher’s keystroke error sent fire trucks toward the wrong address during a blaze that killed three people in Queens.

The mistake was quickly corrected while the trucks were en-route on Saturday. It’s not clear whether it was a factor in the deaths.

A spokesman for Mayor Michael Bloomberg acknowledged the dispatch error, but said other issues were more significant.

Jason Post said the basement windows were barred and the floors were illegally subdivided. He said the building also lacked working smoke detectors.

Some firefighters cited the incident as a sign that the city’s new dispatching system is not working. City officials defended the system, which was put in place over union objections.

Teen in Critical Condition Following Queens Fire - wpix.com

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An 18-year-old woman is listed in critical condition after she was injured in a house fire Friday. The blaze was reported at 11:15 a.m at 106-10 101st Avenue in the Ozone Park section of Queens. The woman's family was able to get out of the house, but the young woman was trapped inside, officials say.

Firefighters who responded to the late-morning blaze, managed to pull the teen to safety. Authorities say the victim sustained second- and third-degree burns over much of her body, and is being treated at the burn unit in Cornell Medical Center. Doctors say they expect her to survive.

Police are still investigating the cause of the blaze.

Willow Lake in Flushing Meadows Park...

The following photos were taken during a Parks Department sponsored bird walk on March 8th with clear signs of recent fire damage and MTA intrusions into the Park.

Photos by Manny

2 NYC Bravest Injured at Queens Fire by Erin Calabrese and Philip Messing - New York Post

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Two firefighters were hospitalized after falling 15 feet while fighting a four-alarm blaze in Queens last night, authorities said.

It wasn't immediately clear what caused them to plunge while in the warehouse at 56-95 49th Place in Maspeth shortly after 8 p.m.

One suffered a broken arm, the other a minor head injury, officials said. Both were taken to Elmhurst Hospital.

"They were pulled out of the warehouse conscious and on their own power," an FDNY spokesman said.

A third firefighter was treated at the scene for minor injuries.

The warehouse was unoccupied and in an industrial area.

It took about five hours to bring the blaze under control.

Civics Plan Fund To Aid Fire Victimsby Michael Lanza - Queens Tribune

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Two civic groups are teaming up with the Queens chapter of the American Red Cross in a relief effort for families displaced by last Thursday’s devastating five-alarm fire in Woodhaven.

Photo caption: Many of the flags that line the block were spared from the blaze. The fire, fueled by high winds, engulfed 11 homes.

The Woodhaven Block Residents Organization and the Woodhaven Development Corp. will soon create a fund to assist the families, according to Katherine Mooney, a spokeswomann for City Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley (D-Middle Village).

“We’re waiting for a full assessment from the Red Cross before we act,” Mooney said. “But a call for contributions of some type will be made down the line when we know a little more specifically what is needed.”

Mooney said most of the nearly 30 residents displaced by the blaze are being housed by family and friends as they wait to salvage what remains of their homes. All of the houses were cordoned off while inspectors continue to assess their safety and structural integrity.

Queens Battalion Chief Sal Cassano said the fire spread quickly from a home on 96th Street near 91st Avenue at around 12:30 p.m. More than 200 firefighters descended on the blaze, which had already engulfed nearly half of the residential block as winds fanned the flames through 11 attached homes.

Dozens of fire engines were lined around the block, shrouded in an acrid haze as they struggled to contain the fire. Firefighters blasted homes with water from above and below for more than three hours as high winds fed and reignited the stubborn flames.

Photo caption: (t)A Captain with Glendale’s Ladder 135 watches over his subordinates after directing the men to douse a resurgent flame. (b) A firefighter stands by as others battle the flames from above.

“We had a lot of fire and it’s swirling,” Cassano said. “There was so much smoke when we got there. The wind made it very difficult. The firefighters who are here did a great job.”

Fire officials reported eight smoke-related injuries during the afternoon blaze, including two firefighters. No major injuries were reported.

An investigation into the cause of the fire is ongoing, fire officials said.

For more information on helping those displaced by the fire, contact Crowley’s office at (212) 788-7381.

Convict Charged with Arson in Ozone Park Building Fire - Queens Chronicle

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Isiah Abramson allegedly set his own apartment building on fire. (photo courtesy of FDNY)

A convicted bank robber neighbors accused of setting their Ozone Park apartment building on fire was arrested for arson last week by FDNY fire marshals.

Isiah Abramson, 26, allegedly set fire to the second-floor apartment he shared with his 25-year-old girlfriend and their 3-month-old son at 86-08 101st Ave., around 3:40 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 26, Fire Department officials said.

The marshals said their investigation determined that Abramson intentionally started the fire after a dispute with his girlfriend that occurred the previous night.

According to neighbors who heard the fighting, Abramson threatened his girlfriend’s life, trashed the apartment and threw her belongings out of a window.
Fire officials verified witness statements: Abramson threatened the woman with a knife and told her he would set fire to the apartment. He said, “If I can’t live here, no one will.” The woman and baby fled and stayed with relatives.
The next day, Abramson returned to the apartment, removed his possessions and set the fire, which spread throughout the second and third floors of the three-story building, according to authorities who said the apartment was empty and locked when firefighters arrived.
More than 100 firefighters responded to the blaze, which quickly became a three-alarm fire and caused major damage to the building. It took about 45 minutes to extinguish the flames, and eight suffered minor injuries. No civilians were injured.
Abramson, who was arrested at his mother’s house in Brooklyn the following day, was arraigned Jan. 29 on charges of second- and fourth-degree arson, second-degree criminal mischief and reckless endangerment. He was remanded without bail, according to the Queens District Attorney’s Office.
The defendant, who faces 25 years in prison if convicted of second-degree arson and is due back in court on Feb. 11.
According to Fire Department officials, Abramson has an extensive criminal history dating back to 1997, including a bank robbery conviction from Dec. 18. He is scheduled to be sentenced in that case on Feb. 5.

Fire Spreads Through Queens Block - NY1

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Fire has spread through 11 houses in Woodhaven, Queens today.

The fire started around 12:30 p.m. at a two-story house at 91-18 96th Street and was controlled three hours later.

Two firefighters and two local residents had minor injuries.

Firefighters were pulled from the buildings due to the heavy winds.

We had 65 units, [a total] of 230 members - that includes fire and [emergency medical services]," said a fireman. "We had a number of EMS on the scene because of the number of buildings that were involved."

The area became filled with thick, dark smoke and many residents were displaced from their homes and forced to stay aboard a parked city bus for warmth.

Investigators say the fire spread through a common crawlspace between the buildings, and there is a possibility the fire is gas-related

Jamaica Fire Claims Life of Elderly Man by Ivan Pereira and Christina Santucci - YourNabe.com

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Firefighters head into the scorched remains of a Jamaica home, where an elderly man was found dead. Photo by Christina Santucci

A pair of unrelated fires struck two Queens homes, killing a Jamaica senior citizen Monday night and critically injuring a family in Woodhaven early Tuesday morning, authorities said.

Around 8 p.m. Monday, a blaze ripped through a dilapidated two−story frame house with Collyer’s Mansion conditions at 111−36 143 St. in Jamaica, according to police. After extinguishing the fire, firefighters discovered an elderly tenant unconscious and unresponsive on the second floor, police said.

A few minutes later, EMS crews pronounced the man, Henry Ward, dead at the scene. The FDNY said it was investigating the cause of the fire, which took place in a house filled with signs and decorations that praised the work of African−American scientists and inventors.

One of the signs read: “The accomplishment[s] of my ancestors should be celebrate[d] every day and not limited to the month of February.”

Mark Simon, who lived next door to Ward for nearly 14 years, said he was a Vietnam War veteran and kept to himself.

“If you walk by, you can see he has a lot of newspapers and stuff like that,” he said. “All of my life I’m living here, I’m used to seeing him raking leaves or sitting on the steps. Knowing I’m not going to see him anymore is a little strange.”

Hours later, a fire broke out at the second floor of a Woodhaven apartment building at 97−12 93 St., the FDNY said. Firefighters took nearly 45 minutes to put out the fire, which started around 4:50 a.m. and engulfed all three floors of the building, firefighters said.

Five people were injured in the fire, including a mother and her two children, according to firefighters. They were immediately taken to Mary Immaculate Hospital and Jamaica Hospital, according to the FDNY. All five were later transferred to New York−Presbyterian’s burn unit and were listed in critical condition, according to a hospital spokeswoman.

Another unidentified tenant was treated at the scene and released, firefighters said.

Julio Barbecho and his wife were on the first floor and escaped the fire.

“We were sleeping. We smelled the smoke and ran out. The people on the second floor called the police,” said Barbecho’s wife, who did not give her first name.

The cause of the fire was under investigation as of Tuesday, the FDNY said.

Barbecho said the injured family had lived in the building for about nine years.

Reach reporter Ivan Pereira by e−mail at ipereira@timesledger.com or by phone at 718−229−0300, Ext. 146.

After Hospitals Save Fire Victims, Rep. Weiner Fights to Save Hospitals - Calls for 90-Day Reprieve

'Hospital Closings Would Be Too Great a Loss,’ Weiner Says

After Mary Immaculate Hospital treated family members who suffered from injuries as a result of a fire, Representative Anthony Weiner (D-Brooklyn and Queens) renewed calls for the State Department of Health to keep both St. John’s and Mary Immaculate hospitals open. Both hospitals filed for bankruptcy and are currently awaiting the state to provide additional temporary aid to avoid closure.

The family, which included a 29 year-old mother and two young children ages 5 and 9, were in critical condition and treated at Mary Immaculate and Jamaica hospitals. A fire broke out in their two-story Ozone Park home. The family was then transferred to the burn unit at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center.

Rep. Weiner pointed out the critical role of these hospitals and the countless lives saved. In a recent letter to the State Department of Health, Rep. Weiner called for granting hospitals a 90-day reprieve to create a restructuring plan. The two hospitals service approximately 200,000 Queens residents and employs 2,500 medical and health-care workers.

Rep. Weiner said, “Every Queens resident deserves quality, affordable health care. The closing of St. John’s and Mary Immaculate hospitals would be too great a loss. We must give them a lifeboat so that they can continue to provide excellent care that residents have been receiving for decades.”

Family Injured In Woodhaven (Ozone Park) Fire - NY1

I was awaken this morning by the sound of helicopters hovering overhead some time just after 5am...I went outside to see what was happening and saw no less than 7 news helicopters above my house and scattered across the skies above the surrounding few blocks...Contrary to NY1's story below this fire occurred in Ozone Park directly across the street from the addition to Elizabeth Blackwell MS 210...The house is only about 40 years old...When I left fire marshalls were already investigating the home to determine the cause of the fire...I overheard some media people who spoke of hearing an FDNY chief referring to the fire as a "fatal house fire", but they could not obtain any official statement from the FDNY personnel still on site....

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NY1 Screenshot photo

Several members of a Queens family have been hospitalized after a fast-moving fire tore through their Woodhaven (Ozone Park) home early this morning.

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Flames broke out around 5 a.m. at a three-story house near the intersection of 93rd Street and 97th Avenue.

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A mother, two children, and a grandmother sustained serious injuries in the fire. Emergency workers say the victims were overcome by heavy smoke.

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Neighbors say they are lucky the flames did not spread beyond the single home.

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"Very friendly people, very wonderful people, you know, when I found out it was them, it's sad," said one neighbor. "Although it's unfortunate, the fortunate situation is that none of the other houses went on fire."

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Officials say the fire started on the second floor.

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The cause is under investigation.

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Photos by: David M. Quintana

Ozone Park Home Damaged In Blaze | www.timesnewsweekly.com | Times Newsweekly

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No injuries were reported following a one-alarm fire which broke out inside this two-story home in Ozone Park on Sunday night, Oct. 12. Fire Department sources said the incident occurred at around 7:30 p.m. inside the residence on 114th Place near Sutter Avenue. Members of Engine companies 285, 302, 308 and 331; Ladder companies 142, 155 and 173; Squad Company 270; Rescue 4 and Battalions 39 and 51—under the direction of Division 13— responded to the scene with officers from the 106th Precinct and EMS units. The blaze was brought under control at around 8 p.m., said an FDNY spokesperson. (photo: Allen Epstein)

Pick-up Truck on Fire in Ozone Park - FDNY Company 142 Extinguishes Flames...

I was working on my computer at home last Thursday when it seemed like every firetruck in Queens was outside...

When I walked outside to see what was happening, there was an already extinguished fire in the trailer of a pick-up truck...

FDNY Company 142 of Ozone Park and Engine 285 of Richmond Hill had the intersection of 94^th Street and 103^rd Avenue closed to through-traffic for about 10-15 minutes...

I was told the fire started in the cans of hot construction material in the trailer and was seen by drivers as far away as 91^st Avenue, but evidently not by the driver...

The driver was not issued any citations and was able to reattach the trailer to the pick-up and leave...

One Dead in Queens Fire by Xana O’Neill, Jotham Sederstrom and Tamer El-Ghobashy - NY Daily News

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The two-alarm fire was first reported at 7:36 a.m., Sunday.

A fierce blaze at a Queens apartment building claimed the life of one man and seriously injured seven other people - some of whom jumped from windows to escape, fire officials and witnesses said.

Two of the helpless victims ran out of the Middle Village building engulfed in flames and begged for help from the owner of the deli that sits on the ground floor.

"It's not easy to see someone on fire - I did the best I could," said Mohammad Al Matari, 45, describing how he and a customer doused the burning victims with gallons of cold water from his stock.

The fire, which broke out at about 7:30 a.m., also forced three people to jump from second - and third-story windows - even as passersby urged the frantic victims to wait for the FDNY to arrive with ladders.

"She had no other choice - there was smoke and flames right behind," said Bryan Onody, 47, describing a woman perched on a second-floor window sill who eventually jumped. "I had to turn away ... it was terrible."

Fire officials said 106 firefighters battled the 2-alarm inferno and were able to control it in under an hour. But it had already taken a heavy toll.

A man's body was recovered from inside a burnt out apartment on the third floor, and three people were rushed to hospitals in critical condition. Four people were also taken to hospitals in serious condition.

Six firefighters were also treated at hospitals for minor injuries, the FDNY said.

Fire officials said the cause of the fire was being investigated, saying it began near one of the entrances to the building. It was deemed suspicious, officials said.

"We came out of this alive - we're very fortunate," said Orlando Merced, 48, a second-floor tenant who ushered his wife and two children out of the smokey structure.