FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM MARCH 25, 2022 • THE QUEENS COURIER 4
Five-alarm fi re leads to ‘severe damage’ in Flushing
BY BILL PARRY
BPARRY@SCHNEPSMEDIA.COM
@QNS
FDNY personnel said the massive, fi ve-alarm
fi re on Main Street in Flushing was “placed under
control” just before 11:30 a.m. last week, but
disruptions persist in the commercial corridor.
Th e one-story building at the East Commercial
Plaza on Main Street has signifi cant structural
damage due to a collapsed roof, and fi refi
ghters continue to extinguish fi res in the debris.
Th e fi re broke out in a market located at 50-10
Main St. just aft er 6 a.m. on March 17.
Th e fi re required 44 units and 198 fi refi ghters,
according to the FDNY. Th ere are no civilian
injuries at this time, the FDNY said on Twitter.
Th e 7 train to Flushing was suspended during
the morning rush aft er smoke was detected
inside the Main Street station, which forced an
evacuation, according to the MTA.
Notify NYC warned businesses and residents
to keep windows closed due to the heavy smoke
conditions.
FDNY Acting Chief of Operations Richard
Blatus provided an update at midday saying
there was a partial collapse of the ceiling and roof.
“We will be here for most of the day, if not
into the night. Once the fi re is completely extinguished,
we will have Department of Buildings
evaluate the structure and see what kind of
searches we can undertake,” Blatus said. “Th is
is a very stubborn fi re. Th ere are approximately
30 kiosks inside. Th ere are currently no civilian
injuries at this time.”
He said the cause of the fi re is under investigation
by FDNY fi re marshals.
Councilwoman Sandra Ung was at the scene
of the inferno and received a briefi ng from
FDNY offi cials.
“As of right now, we have heard there are fi ve
minor injuries, which are being treated at the
scene,” Ung said. “As we prepare to help the
small businesses impacted by the fi re, I am
already in direct contact with the small business
services commissioner and will continue
to monitor developments and changes in the
situation.”
She added that Main Street between 39th
Avenue and Kissena Boulevard and Roosevelt
Avenue between Prince Street and Union Street
are currently closed to traffi c.
Shuttle buses for the 7 train are at Main
Street and Northern Boulevard, according to
the 109th Precinct in Flushing.
While firefighters continued to knock
down hotspots throughout the afternoon,
inspectors for the city’s Department of
Photo by Lloyd Mitchell
Buildings inspectors conducted a preliminary
structural stability inspection and
found that the entire roof structure had
collapsed due to fire-related damages. The
neighboring properties at 40-06 Main St.
and 40-02 Main St. have also suffered “severe
damage,” including sections of collapsed
roofing at 40-2.
Th e DOB’s investigation is ongoing.
Scenes from the fi ve-alarm blaze on Main Street in Flushing.
St. John’s Episcopal Hospital to receive $4M in federal funding
BY BILL PARRY
BPARRY@SCHNEPSMEDIA.COM
@QNS
St. John’s Episcopal Hospital in Far Rockaway
announced Tuesday, March 15, that
Congressman Gregory Meeks has secured $4
million in federal funding to support crucial
services at the only hospital on the Rockaway
peninsula.
Meeks advocated for the funds in the omnibus
appropriations bill that was passed by the
House of Representatives and the Senate and is
awaiting President Joe Biden to sign it into law.
“I am proud to have secured funding that will
make our community healthier, safer, stronger
and even more resilient,” Meeks said. “Th e $4
million in funds for St. John’s Episcopal Hospital
that will be used toward the renovation of
the behavioral health, women and maternity/
NICU and labor and delivery units is extremely
critical to support our only health center serving
the Rockaways.”
Renee Hastick-Motes, the vice president of
external aff airs and president of the St. John’s
ICARE Foundation, said she is extremely
grateful for the funding that will support the
behavioral health and women/newborn equity
renovation projects.
“Th e renovations are essential to ensuring
adequate care is provided to our patients in an
esthetically conducive environment,” she said.
Now celebrating its 110th year of community
care, the 257-bed medical facility provides comprehensive
preventive, diagnostic, treatment
and rehabilitative services, regardless of the
ability to pay.
“On behalf of St. John’s Episcopal Hospital,
I would like to extend my sincere
gratitude to Congressman Gregory Meeks
for his continued support, and advocacy
for funding from the House Appropriations
Subcommittee on Labor, Health and
Human Services that will go towards our
Women and Newborns Health Equity Renovation
project, and our Behavioral Health
Equity Renovation project,” St. John’s Episcopal
Hospital CEO Jerry Walsh said. “As
the only hospital located on the Rockaway,
Queens, peninsula, these two projects will
significantly help us achieve our mission of
improving access to quality healthcare to
the more than 130,000 community members
we serve.”
QNS fi le photo
Congressman Gregory Meeks has secured $4 million in federal funding for St. John’s Episcopal Hospital in Far
Rockaway.
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