A fire ripped through two Queens homes early Sunday, leaving a resident and two firefighters with minor injuries, officials said.
The flames erupted in the basement of 70-09 52nd Avenue in Maspeth around 2:50 a.m. and quickly spread to the first floor and then to the roof before setting a neighboring building ablaze, fire officials said.
A neighbor who awoke to the sight of flames next-door called 911 and quickly rushed over.
Juan Gonzalez“They have three young ones. I met the grandfather at the door, and there was a language barrier,” said Pat Donahue, 32, a carpenter.
“He was disoriented and confused. I told him ‘the house is on fire, get out! 911 is on the way.’ Then his wife came out with a kid, and [the grandfather and I] ran back in and got the last of them,” said Donahue.
Donahue said he then ran to the other building on the other side and rang the doorbell frantically.
“I started ringing the bell like a maniac and pounding on the door the best I could… and yelling. When [the resident] finally came down, he said he thought there was a fight going on down here. I said, ‘No, there’s no fight! Your house on fire! let’s go!’ ” said Donahue.
A slightly hurt resident and a firefighter refused medical attention at the scene, and another firefighter was taken to Elmhurst Hospital for minor injuries.
