An intense fire claimed the life of an elderly man in a Queens apartment building on Sunday night. The firefighting efforts were hampered when a vehicle blocked access to a crucial fire hydrant, authorities reported.
Approximately 90 emergency medical services personnel and firefighters quickly arrived at the scene after the fire erupted at an apartment complex located on 78th Street, between Broadway and Woodside Avenue in Elmhurst, shortly before 7:20 p.m., according to the FDNY.
During their search and rescue operations, firefighters found an 83-year-old man who was unconscious and unresponsive, with severe injuries, as confirmed by police and fire officials.
The man was immediately transported to a hospital, where he was later pronounced dead, according to the NYPD.
He was discovered in the back bedroom of a sixth-floor apartment unit, where FDNY Deputy Chief Jeff Meister described “heavy fire” and “dense smoke conditions” engulfing the entire top floor.
As firefighters raced to extinguish the blaze and rescue the victim, they encountered a frozen fire hydrant and another one obstructed by a parked vehicle near the building.
“It seems to be an issue throughout the city where residents are parking on hydrants,” Meister said.
“When vehicles are parked at a hydrant, it definitely impedes our operations. It slows everything down. Getting water on the fire fast is a critical part of our jobs,” he added.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation, authorities said.
