Red Light Atop LIC Luxury Building Sparks False Fire Report: FDNY

ASTORIA, QUEENS — Firefighters in Queens were preparing to battle a blaze atop a luxury building in Long Island City on Tuesday night, but fire turned out to be a false alarm.

Just after 9:00 p.m. on Nov. 23rd, fire officials reported a fire at 52-03 Center Boulevard, a 56-story high rise that's currently under construction.

Emergency responders were getting ready to mobilize, but then, around 9:15 p.m., got word that the blaze was a false alarm.

It turns out that the so-called fire atop the construction site was actually a red light on the roof reflected in steam, which looked like a billowing blaze.

Fire officials did not immediately respond to Patch's request for inquiry about the false fire alarm at 52-03 Center Boulevard.

The high rise building last made headlines this summer, when hundreds of units hit the city's affordable housing lottery, though most were reserved for people making at least 130 percent of the area's median income.

Some of the "affordable" apartments, for instance, required a salary of at least $108,275 to apply, records show.