Fire officials say at least three people have died in a basement after a fire caused by high winds blew through several homes in the Richmond Hill section of Queens on Friday.
The house where the bodies were found, 104-18 125th Street, is quote in 2011 for an apartment with an illegal basement, among other violations, and in 2017 inspectors responded to a complaint about an apartment with an illegal basement report Construction Department records show a man who refused to let them in.
On Saturday, fire officials were still trying to determine the cause of the fire, which was first reported at 104-19 125th Street. The fire engulfed that home and a neighboring house, 104-18, collapsing many of the structures above them.
Two of the bodies were found Friday and Tuesday on Saturday, a Fire Department spokesman said. Police declined to identify those killed pending official announcements from next of kin.
Amid a prolonged shortage of affordable housing, the city has struggle to make progress on the matter of illegal basement housing — which the former mayor, Bill de Blasio, estimated last year had about 50,000 illegal apartments housing more than 100,000 people.
Eleven people drowned in the basement last year during a flash flood after Hurricane Ida, highlighting the crux of the problem – and its urgency, as climate change is expected to cause more frequent and intense flooding, as well as more high winds played a role in Friday’s fire, according to the fire department.
Harrideo Parmand, listed in city records as the owner of the home at 104-18 125th Street, could not be immediately reached for comment on Saturday.
City records show a number of blatant violations at the address, including failure to comply with orders to vacate the cellar and relocating to accommodate more than the number of units legally allowed.
Firefighters were still searching for debris Saturday on 125th Street near Liberty Avenue, where the fire broke out. The fire, which was issued a five-alarm, produced billowing gray smoke that tore through two homes, damaged three others and sent dozens of residents fleeing.
The fire hit the bustling, close-knit neighborhood known as Little Guyana, on the southern edge of the Richmond Hill section. At least 29 adults and 13 children were helped after the fire, according to the American Red Cross, which is assisting. Five firefighters suffered minor injuries.
Building officials were also at the scene. The Construction Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Saturday.
