Tenants Believe Arson Caused Ozone Park Fire
Queens Chronicle 1/29/09
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It took firefighters, right, about 45 minutes to extinguish a three-alarm fire that engulfed an Ozone Park apartment building Monday afternoon. (photo by PJ Smith) |
Several
residents of an Ozone Park
building that went up in flames
Monday afternoon said they
believe it might have been the
result of a domestic dispute.
One firefighter suffered
minor injuries during the
three-alarm blaze, which began
around 3:50 p.m. and took about
45 minutes to extinguish,
according to the FDNY. A fire
department spokesman said there
is speculation the fire began on
the second floor in the rear.
A man and woman who lived on the
second floor of the three-story,
six-unit apartment building,
located at 86-08 101st Ave.,
were heard fighting Sunday
night, according to Leroy
Johnson, a 10-year resident who
lived in the apartment next door
to the couple.
Cops were called and five
police vehicles arrived on the
scene, but Johnson said the man
had already left.
Johnson, 41, was at work when
the fight occurred, but his
29-year-old cousin, Khalid
Boston, was in the apartment and
heard the argument, which he
said included life threats.
Boston told his cousin that many
of the woman’s belongings were
thrown out the window and
scattered around the
second-floor hallway.
Neighbors speculated that
around 3 p.m. on Monday, the man
returned to the building to set
his girlfriend’s apartment on
fire. According to Johnson, the
woman had lived there for about
a year and a half and the man
often stayed with her. He said
there hadn’t been any previous
domestic disputes.
Boston was sleeping when the
fire broke out and awoke when
firefighters broke down the
apartment door and grabbed him,
Johnson said.
Lynette Hernandez, who lived
on the third floor and called
police when she heard the
fighting, escaped the blaze with
her son, Mason, roommate,
Merriam Osuna, four pet birds
and a pit bull.
She was sure her cockatiels
were dead, and was surprised
when firefighters brought them
out alive and well. She rushed
to hug and kiss them and then
ran into a bodega on the corner
of 96th Street to keep them
warm.
All other tenants were safely
evacuated. They were allowed
back into their apartments
briefly to retrieve their
belongings. The building was
heavily damaged — “It was not
livable,” Johnson said, noting
that the inside of his apartment
was visible from outside.
While
Johnson
and
Boston
stayed
with
relatives
Monday
night,
they
said
they
planned
to
seek
assistance
and
relocation
from
the
Red
Cross.
When
asked
what
he
would
say
to
the
alleged
arsonist
if
he
got
the
chance,
Johnson
simply
said,
“I
have
no
words.
I
have
no
words
for
him
right
now.”
He
continued:
“I’m
still
in a
state
of
shock.
I
don’t
know
what
I
might
do
or
say
to
him.”
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