Huge Long Island City Fire Destroys Warehouse, Injures 2, City Says

LONG ISLAND CITY, QUEENS — A huge fire broke out early Tuesday in an industrial Long Island City building, billowing flames for hours, injuring two firefighters and largely destroying the structure, authorities said.

Flames erupted about 2:30 a.m. inside a commercial laundromat at 47-46 30th St., between 47th and 48th avenues, FDNY deputy assistant chief Chuck Downey told reporters at the scene.

At least 168 firefighters and EMS workers responded to the 1-story building, where they were met with "heavy fire conditions," Downey said.

Firefighters were forced to retreat and battle the blaze from outside the building, finally getting it under control by 7 a.m., authorities said.

Two firefighters were taken to hospitals with minor injuries: one to the shoulder-neck area, and another to the knee, Downey said.

The fire caused the warehouse to partially collapse, according to the Department of Buildings, which posted photos Tuesday afternoon showing the building's ceiling caved in and its interior covered with burnt debris. The agency had engineers on the scene to study whether the building was at risk of further collapse, it said in a tweet.

"I'm extremely proud," Downey said at the scene of the firefighters who had helped contain the fire. "It's the hard work, dedication that they put in day in and day out."

Nearby residents were warned to avoid the area and close their windows in an emergency alert sent by the city about 3 a.m.

Fire marshals were on scene investigating the cause of the fire, which remained an "active scene" by 9 a.m. Tuesday, an FDNY spokesperson said.