Queens man, 57, killed after fl ames rip through
the upper fl oors of his East Elmhurst home
BY TODD MAISEL
A 57-year-old man was
killed when a fire swept
through the top floor of his
home in Queens on May 17,
police officials said.
The man, not identified, was
pulled from the burning building
in very critical condition,
fire officials said. He was later
pronounced dead at Elmhurst
Hospital, police officials said.
The fire started at about 2
p.m. on May 17 at 24-32 96th St.
in East Elmhurst, in the top
floor bedroom of the two-story
wood-frame home. Firefighters
arrived and found flames blowing
out of the rear windows.
Lieutenant Tommy Sutton of
Engine Company 316, a 24-year
veteran of the FDNY, was able to
get to the top floor despite heavy
smoke and flames. He pulled
the man to the street with help
of other firefighters. Despite
CPR efforts and resuscitation by
EMS, he died at the hospital.
Fire officials said the home
was “heavily cluttered,” making
it difficult for rescuers to
find the victim. The victim’s elderly
mother, not identified, was
able to self evacuate from the
burning home.
Residents on the ground
floor also self-evacuated with
one of the residents attempting
to help the upstairs tenants.
Ram Khadka, a neighbor of
the home, said he was working
in his backyard with his wife
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and daughter when they saw
smoke.
“I saw smoke coming from
windows so I started yelling to
see if anyone was there and nobody
responded,” Khadka said.
“When nobody responded, my
wife said call 911, so we called
the fire department. Then all
of a sudden there was so much
fire.”
A woman who lives on the
ground floor who didn’t want
to be identified said she lived
downstairs with her children
at the time of the fire. She said
they smelled smoke and tried to
find the occupants.
“We smelled smoke, so my
husband went upstairs to see
if anyone was there,” she said.
“There was so much smoke, I
got my family out of the house
and then all of a sudden, there
was a lot of fire coming from the
windows.”
Fire officials said there was
heavy clutter on the top floor
and they said it was difficult to
find the victim. Heavy clutter
was thrown out into the rear
yard of the house, much of it
books, music, DVD’s, and toy
collectibles.
The cause of the fire was
under investigation by fire marshals,
officials said. Police said
criminality is not suspected.
A 57-year-old man was killed when a fire swept through his home in
Elmhurst. Photo by Lloyd Mitchell
A family that lived downstairs from the victim is now homeless.
Photo by Todd Maisel
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