Squatters were staying in the building when the blaze broke out on Avery Ave. near College Point Blvd. <\/a>in Flushing about 12:30 p.m. March 16, officials said.<\/p>\n | BETTER EVERY SHIFT: Gordon Graham shares words of wisdom<\/a><\/p>\n The owner of a nearby gas station heard what he described as an explosion and looked across the street to see people leaping from the building.<\/p>\n \u201cSomething blew up,\u201d Wadud Mohammad, 59, told the Daily News shortly after the fire. \u201cThe whole roof was on fire. People were jumping from the building. Others were running across the street.\u201d<\/p>\n The toddler died along with a man and a 62-year-old woman, a 61-year-old man and a 57-year-old man after the four-alarm fire broke out. One of the men died at a local hospital while the other three victims died at the scene.<\/p>\n The victims\u2019 names have still not been released.<\/p>\n As of Wednesday, no arrests have been made in the investigation but multiple FDNY and NYPD sources said arson is suspected. The official cause has yet to be determined.<\/p>\n The fire quickly spread to an adjoining corner property on College Point Blvd.<\/p>\n Because the building had been illegally subdivided, the owner of the building could be facing criminal charges. But it has been difficult for investigators to determine who owns the building, which has a vacant storefront on the first floor and apartments on the upper floors.<\/p>\n Neighbors said the longtime owner had died and the building fell into further disrepair after that.<\/p>\n In 2020, the city Department of Buildings put a partial vacate order on the building where the fire broke out, 132-05 Avery Ave., after the city received repeated complaints that the owner had illegally subdivided the three-story property. The partial vacate order was still in effect when the blaze broke out.<\/p>\n As many as a dozen people were living in the third-floor apartment where the fire started, a neighbor told the Daily News.<\/p>\n \u201cThe apartment was vacant. Nobody was supposed to be living there. They were squatting,\u201d said the 30-year-old neighbor, who declined to share her name.<\/p>\n A man who works nearby said the building that caught fire had long been a problem property.<\/p>\n \u201cThat building is chaos,\u201d said the 30-year-old worker, who would only identify himself as Eric. \u201cThe door is always open like anyone can just walk in. No one was taking care of that house,\u201d<\/p>\n Building Department records indicate that an inspection of the Avery Ave. address in 2020 revealed the owner improperly converted the two-family building into a seven-family building \u201cby creating five additional single-room occupancies and nine additional bedrooms.\u201d<\/p>\n Inspectors found the rooms \u201cwith key locking devices, bed, TV, cooking equipment, refrigerators and food items in rooms,\u201d city records show.<\/p>\n More than 230 firefighters and EMS members fought the fire and treated the wounded. Five firefighters, including two who fell through a staircase, were hospitalized with minor injuries.<\/p>\n Seven surviving residents \u2014 three women and four men ranging in age from 33 to 67 \u2014 were treated for burns, smoke inhalation and other minor injuries.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n \n Bodycam video shows Allentown firefighters rescuing trapped residents from second-floor windows\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n \n PFD Assistant Chief Jeff Schripsema shares a powerful story highlighting the department\u2019s commitment to its members\n <\/p>\n March 25, 2026 02:20 PM<\/p>\n \u00a0\u00b7\u00a0<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n \n The agency is again accepting applications for its Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program after a court order, but new rules could make it harder for smaller communities to compete for funding\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n \n Prosecutors say the man set a basement fire after threatening residents, sparking the blaze that led to Firefighter Michael Altman\u2019s death\n <\/p>\n \u00a92026 New York Daily News.![\"FireRescue1](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1774520260_166_.jpeg\")
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