Two firefighters and one resident were injured Sunday after a massive gas explosion engulfed several homes in a New York neighborhood in flames.
Firefighters responded to the explosion at around 6 a.m. in Meadowmere Park, a neighborhood bordering Queens, near John F. Kennedy International Airport, WPIX reported.
VOLUME UP: Front Door Camera Video Footage of this mornings explosion & multi-alarm fire in Meadowmere Park, Nassau County, NY @IAFC @IAFC_SHS @NCFSA @nysfirechiefs @FASNY @FDNY @TheSecretList #newyork #nassaucounty #fire #explosion #firefighters #firefighter pic.twitter.com/bGrCQ1V9cR
— FirefighterCloseCall (@TheSecretList) November 2, 2020
“The houses shook,” Meadowmere resident Stephanie Vinas told the TV station.
“We looked through the window, and all we saw was fire and smoke,” Vines said.
Fire Chief Kevin Carrero, who lives right behind the house that exploded, evacuated his family and then ran to assist neighbors, WPIX reported.
“It was like a bomb,” Carrero told the TV station.
“The explosion was big, and everyone felt it. It was very hard to fight the fire,” Carrero added.
The initial investigation indicates the home in the center of the three engulfed by flames was the source of the explosion, WABC reported.
Several surrounding agencies, including the New York City Fire Department, assisted the Lawrence- Cedarhurst Fire Department in battling the blaze, which was contained within two hours, the TV station reported.
According to WABC, at least two firefighters were seriously injured when a wall collapsed. Both are currently listed in stable condition.
Meanwhile, a male civilian who was in the middle home was airlifted to an area hospital for treatment of smoke inhalation and severe burns, but his current condition was not immediately available, the TV station reported.
“It looks like a natural gas emergency or natural gas-fed fire right now,” Nassau County Assistant Chief Fire Marshall Micha Uttaro told WPIX, adding, “It doesn’t look suspicious.”
Cox Media Group
