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Videos: 5 firefighters injured in 5-alarm NYC blaze

One firefighter was injured by a falling air conditioner during the Queens fire

NEW YORK — Six people were injured, including five firefighters, after a fast-moving overnight fire tore through a two-story home in Queens, displacing residents and sending debris into the street, authorities said.

The FDNY said companies were dispatched at 3:30 a.m. on Jan. 6 to a reported first-floor fire on Madison Street between Seneca and Onderdonk avenues in the Ridgewood neighborhood, NBC New York reported.

One firefighter was hospitalized after an air conditioner fell from a window and struck him at the scene. He was transported to a hospital and is expected to recover.

Officials said the remaining firefighter injuries were minor, as was the injury to a civilian.

The fire extended up the shaft and through the roof of the three-story building, then spread to three neighboring buildings, ABC 7 reported. Thirty families were displaced, and all four affected buildings will receive vacate orders from the city’s Office of Emergency Management.

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Bill Carey is the associate editor for FireRescue1.com and EMS1.com. A former Maryland volunteer firefighter, sergeant, and lieutenant, Bill has written for several fire service publications and platforms. His work on firefighter behavioral health garnered a 2014 Neal Award nomination. His ongoing research and writings about line-of-duty death data is frequently cited in articles, presentations, and trainings. Have a news tip? He can be reached at news@lexipol.com.