QUEENS, NY — A massive five-alarm fire tore through a church complex in Astoria Thursday evening, injuring six firefighters and forcing crews to retreat as parts of the structure began collapsing, FDNY officials said.
Firefighters responded around 6:45 p.m. to the First Reformed Church of Astoria at 27-26 12th Street, where they encountered heavy fire inside a vacant two-story rectory that quickly spread to the adjacent church building.
Collapse forces shift in firefighting strategy
FDNY units initially advanced into both structures with multiple handlines, but worsening conditions and concerns about structural stability led commanders to switch to an exterior attack.
Chief of Fire Operations Kevin Woods said the situation escalated as crews worked outside.
“While operating on the exterior, a portion of the roof started collapsing, walls collapsed, and some bricks hit one of our members in the helmet,” Woods said.
The injured firefighter was treated at the scene by FDNY Rescue Medics, a FAST unit, and EMS personnel before being transported to a nearby hospital.
Five additional firefighters suffered non-serious injuries during the incident.
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Key Points
• Six firefighters injured battling 5-alarm fire at Queens church complex
• Blaze started in vacant rectory and spread to adjacent church
• Structural collapse forced crews to abandon interior operations
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Large-scale response across Astoria
The fire drew a significant emergency response, with 84 units and more than 270 fire and EMS personnel deployed to the scene.
Crews worked for several hours to bring the blaze under control, which was declared at approximately 10:30 p.m.
The scale of the response reflects both the size of the fire and the challenges posed by the interconnected structures and collapsing conditions.
Investigation underway
Officials have not yet determined what caused the fire, and the investigation remains ongoing.
Fires involving vacant buildings can present additional hazards due to unknown structural conditions and delayed detection, though FDNY has not specified contributing factors in this case.
What happens next
The FDNY will continue investigating the origin and cause of the fire while assessing damage to both the rectory and church structures.
All injured firefighters are expected to recover, and no civilian injuries have been reported.