200 Firefighters Battle 5-Alarm Blaze In Queens Mall: FDNY

FLUSHING, QUEENS — Nearly 200 firefighters are battling a five-alarm blaze that erupted at a Queens shopping mall several hours ago, according to the FDNY.

The fire broke out at about 6 a.m. at the Ameri East Mall, a collection of restaurants and vendors located at 40-10 Main Street in Downtown Flushing, fire officials said.

Within 30 minutes the fire had escalated to a four-alarm blaze, and when it was still not under control at 8 a.m. the FDNY called a fifth-alarm, records show.

Videos posted on Citizen show dozens of firefighters cordoning off a section of the usually-bustling Main Street while smoke billows out of the building, located between Roosevelt Avenue and 40th Road, around the corner from the Main Street subway station.

The MTA, however, warned subway goers to expect "extensive delays" in both directions on the 7 train, which was not running between Mets-Willets Point and the Flushing Main Street station during the FDNY's fire response.

As of 9:30 a.m. — more than three hours since the blaze began — there are 198 firefighters battling the blaze from 44 different units, said the FDNY, adding that the efforts to quell the fire are still ongoing.

Nobody has been injured as of now, according to fire officials.

This is a breaking news story, refresh for updates.