A two-alarm fire broke out at St. John’s Episcopal Hospital on
Friday, Sept. 10. Photo courtesy of SJEH
TIMESLEDGER | QNS.COM | SEPT. 17 - SEPT. 23, 2021 9
BY EMILY DAVENPORT &
ZACHARY GEWELB
The FDNY extinguished a
two-alarm fire that broke out
on the roof of St. John’s Episcopal
Hospital in Far Rockaway
on Friday evening.
FDNY responded to the call
at 5:15 p.m. on Sept. 10. The fire
was on the exterior of the roof
and firemen extinguished the
fire just before 7 p.m., according
to the FDNY.
According to a hospital
spokesperson, the fire caused
damage to the roof and the
11th and 10th patient floors.
While the FDNY originally
reported that four people were
injured as a result of the fire,
the hospital claims no one was
injured.
Some of the hospital’s staff
and patients sheltered in
place, while some were evacuated
outside the hospital as
FDNY personnel worked to
extinguish the flames.
“The fire did not set us
back, it just gave us the fuel
to propel forward as we continue
to do the great work we
have been doing to support the
healthcare needs of our community,”
said Jerry Walsh, the
hospital’s CEO.
The hospital has begun efforts
to rebuild the affected
areas.
Those interested in helping
can make a donation online at
ehs.org/firefund.
Individuals seeking healthcare
can continue to receive
services at the hospital, and
the emergency department
remains open, according to
SJEH.
FDNY FIGHTS BLAZE
ON THE ROOF OF FAR
ROCKAWAY HOSPITAL
Firefighters work a hose line on roofing materials that burned at
St. John’s Episcopal Hospital. Photo by Lloyd Mitchell