Tree branch causes church fire in Richmond Hill

RICHMOND HILL (WABC) -- A fast-moving fire damaged a church and two homes in Queens on Thursday afternoon.

The three alarm fire happened at 91-44 111th Street in the Richmond Hills section.

Officials said the fire started at the Deeper Life Christian Fellowship Church around 2:24 p.m.and spread to two neighboring homes.

Three firefighters suffered minor injuries trying to bring the fire under control, officials said.

Neighbors said a tree came down and took down power lines with it, and that sparked the fire.

Investigators have not confirmed that information.

The Daily News says the cause of the fire was a tree branch!

Willie Rivera, whose house was damaged by the fire, said residents became concerned about the tree years ago.

"It's a dead tree," said Rivera, 49. "And we've been calling the city to take it down."

A spokesman for the agency that logs 311 calls said it received two reports about a damaged tree on the street March 14. The complaints were recorded as "closed" March 26.