The number of structural fires in Queens surged last year by 7.7 percent, well above the average increase for the entire city, as firefighters responded to reports of 5,170 burning buildings in 2014, new statistics compiled by the Uniformed Firefighters Association show.
Citywide, structural fires increased 5.7 percent for a total of 25,097 buildings set ablaze.
Overall, 2014 was the busiest year on record for the FDNY since it began keeping records 150 years ago, the report found.
The sharper rise in fires in Queens was likely due to the faster pace of new development in the borough, said Steve Cassidy, president of the Uniformed Firefighters Association.
“Queens has been growing in leaps and bounds. And the more people you have, the more likely you will need us,” Cassidy said. “The borough is growing faster than any other borough.”
With the fast pace of new development in Queens, Cassidy said he believes the FDNY needs to provide more firefighting resources to the borough. “We’ll see how the department responds to that,” he said.
7 comments:
I would like to see the statistics on how many of the fires in Queens were from illegal conversions. The majority of times there is a fire in Jamaica, it has been revealed that the place is an illegal conversion.
No shit , Sherlock. Over development without regard to upgrading infrastructure, schools and hospitals is a deadly game of Russian roulette.
Illegal conversions, illegal basement apartments and undocumented immigrants are the reason for all the fires. Illegals pack 8 to 10 people in an apartment, while illegal basements house many illegals who pay rent to greedy homeowners. Too many people in very small spaces is a recipe for disaster, yet our BP Melinda Katz thinks illegal basement apartments are okay. We need the fire department to expand their inspections of these apartments. The Buildings Department is useless in Queens. Perhaps the Fire Department can cite these spaces and fine them.
Its getting mighty crowded on this lonely planet.
I don't think it's only illegal conversions though that's a big factor.I wonder if any of these fires have happened in any of these "affordable luxury" buildings.
illegal conversions.... and 3rd worlders using an electric space heater he/she does not know how to use. Cranking it up to tropical temperatures like back home.
The illegal alien or whatever leaves the apartment for a few hours with the heater left on of course. And you get a fire.
Or the family goes to sleep at night with the electric space heaters CRANKED! and some drape or something catches fire demolishing a few apartments.
More basement apartments as proposed by Mayor D & Borough Pres. Katz aint going to make this any better
Bloomberg rezoned west brooklyn & queens, and closed a firehouse in each area (212 & 261). Now the population of those very neighborhoods has exploded... neither truck has been reestablished, and in the case of engine 212, their old firehouse was converted to some non profit use.
People should be demanding 261 one back, but they won't, because most of these new people moving in don't even know they've been short changed.
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