A blaze tore through a home in South Richmond Hill, costing one man his life on Thursday.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Police told the Chronicle that when officers arrived at 94-44 Lefferts Blvd., which is between 94th and 95th avenues, they found an unidentified adult man unconscious and unresponsive at 6:39 a.m.\u00a0<\/p>\n
An FDNY spokesperson said via email that firefighters received the call about smoke and fire at the rear of the two-and-a-half-story home at 6:43 a.m. and 21 units made up of 79 fire and EMS personnel arrived in response. \u00a0<\/p>\n
EMS pronounced the victim dead at the scene.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Firefighters were able to get the blaze under control by 7:12 a.m.<\/p>\n
The cause of the fire is still under investigation, said the FDNY.\u00a0<\/p>\n
There have been no arrests, said the NYPD.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Inspectors with the city Department of Buildings checked the home for structural stability following the fire, said a spokesman via email.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The inspectors observed that the two-family dwelling had significant fire damage to the rear extension of the first floor.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The owner was on site with a board-up company to seal all openings in the structure created by the fire, continued the DOB.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The inspectors observed that the cellar of the building had been converted to a class A apartment with full height partitions, contrary to the certificate of occupancy, and as a result they issued violations to the building owner for work done without a permit and occupancy contrary to CO. The agency also issued a vacate order affecting the first floor rear extension and the cellar.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A spokesman for the American Red Cross said via email that it registered two people for emergency assistance.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Any residents impacted by the fire who need help with their recovery and have not already connected with the Red Cross should call 1 (877) RED CROSS (733-2767) and select Option 1.<\/p>\n
The Daily News identified the man as Harbhajan Singh, a taxi driver, who has a son in Texas and a wife back in India.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sherry Algredo, chairwoman of Community Board 9, said she visited the site after the fire as the victim attended a nearby gurudwara, a Sikh space of worship, on 118th Street, within the group\u2019s district.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Algredo said the fire is about the eighth one in roughly a year in the Southeast Queens region.\u00a0<\/p>\n