New York City fire marshals said Friday that an overloaded power strip caused an apartment fire in Queens that injured 21 people, including 16 firefighters.
The April 6 blaze at the six-story building, which displaced about 240 residents, was an accident, and smoke alarms activated as they should have, fire marshals said.
�NEVER overload extension cords with multiple items, appliances or power strips,� city fire officials said in a Twitter post. �Remember – extension cords are for temporary use only.�
About 400 firefighters responded to the afternoon blaze that started on the top floor, and it took them about 12 hours to extinguish it.
Be #FDNYSmart, check cords regularly and replace any damaged or frayed cords immediately See more at https://t.co/NpwdRdDfdw pic.twitter.com/xNdZapXstN
— FDNY (@FDNY) April 17, 2021
Two of the injured firefighters were left with burns that were not life-threatening. No deaths were reported.
A resident in the apartment where the fire started left the door open when fleeing, which helped the fire spread, officials said.
(AP)
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