Four FDNY firefighters were sent to the hospital after battling a two-alarm house blaze that killed three people Thursday.
The fire broke out just after midnight at an abandoned house in Queens, WCBS-TV reports. Around 200 firefighters responded to the blaze, and they encountered thick smoke when the arrived at the call.
"We were on scene within three minutes," FDNY Deputy Fire Chief George Healy told WCBS. "On arrival, we had heavy fire in the cellar, first floor and second floor. Eventually, this went to a two-alarm fire."
Inside the house, crews found three men who were dead and thought to be squatters. In the past, neighbors had seen people entering the home to escape the cold.
"I guess maybe because the weather is cold, they might’ve went inside the house. …," Linda Wong, a neighbor, told WCBS. “It’s a human being, you know. You don’t got to die like that.”
Four firefighters suffered minor injuries in the blaze. They were taken to the hospital, but officials told WCBS they would recover.
