Officials: 2 Dead In Far Rockaway Fire
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Two people have been killed in a house fire in Far Rockaway, Queens, officials said.
The blaze was reported around 1 p.m. Sunday at a two-story dwelling on Cornaga Street, the FDNY told 1010 WINS.
As CBS2's Valerie Castro reported, investigators were working to determine what sparked the deadly blaze on Sunday night.
Neighbor Alex Franklin said when the flames broke out he tried to get inside to help the woman who lived there.
"I did try to force entry of the front door. I did kick the door down and tried to go in there, but there was a lot of smoke. Smoke was coming out," he said.
Fire crews faced an intense battle fueled by the belongings inside the home.
"It seemed like the house was extremely cluttered, particularly on the first floor which is where we had to access to get to the rear of the house where the fire was, so it definitely hindered our operations," a fire official said.
Once firefighters brought the blaze under control they found a pair of bodies.
Officials said the fire began in the kitchen of the home.
Investigators sifted through the pile of belongings, tossed out during the emergency to try to pinpoint a cause.
Franklin said he didn't know his neighbor well, but didn't hesitate when it was time to help.
"I'm still trying to let it sink in. This is my neighbor, though she was a loner that kept to herself, she was still my neighbor," he said.
Additional details on the deaths were not immediately available.
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