At least three people have died in a horrific house fire in Bayside, Queens. Among the victims are an elderly mom with Alzheimer's and her two adult children.
Videos by Wide Open Country
The blaze started in a home on 208th Street between 33rd and 34th Avenues early in the morning at around 2:40 am. According to CBS News, three people lived at the residence. An elderly 90-year-old woman with Alzheimer's, her son, 56, and her daughter, 54. One of the family's neighbors, Alice Brennan, explained, "The mom has Alzheimer's. The daughter is handicapped, and the son is taking care of them. It's just very sad that the three of them perished in the fire."
While the origins of the blaze remain unclear, fire officials suggest that the fire started in the cellar. The flames quickly got out of control and extended to the first and second floors of the house.
The New York Fire Department Responded To A Report Of Smoke In The Area
Per a report by Firehouse, The FDNY (Fire Department New York) responded to a call reporting smoke in the area. First responders got out of their truck and found smoke pouring out of the cellar window of the family's home.
When emergency services located the blaze, they found the 56-year-old son dead in the cellar. The mom and her daughter were in a bedroom on the first floor. Medics reportedly took the pair to local hospitals, the mom to New York-Presbyterian Hospital and daughter to Flushing Hospital, but neither survived the ordeal.
Over one hundred firefighters from 25 different FDNY units responded to the scene. Emergency services reportedly had the blaze under control just after 4:00 am.
According to the New York Post, the daughter had Down's syndrome. Another neighbor, Desmond Brennon, said, "They're all dead. It was a mother and her two children. It was just black smoke pouring out of the house. I ran out, and I saw them bringing one body out and laying it on the ground. They were doing CPR chest compressions, but they couldn't save them." Fire officials reportedly confirmed the family dog was also killed in the blaze.
