A huge fire has completely destroyed at least 50 homes in the Queens, New York neighborhood of Breezy Point.
The blaze erupted as the homes’ residents were already dealing with widespread flooding as a result of Hurricane Sandy.
The fire reportedly started around 11:00 p.m. Monday. The New York Fire Department tweeted out the first officoal notice about 90 minutes later.
QNS 3-ALARM OCEANSIDE AVE, MULTIPLE HOUSE ON FIRE,
— FDNY (@FDNY) October 30, 2012
Nearly 200 firefighters were reportedly on the scene in the early morning hours. The New York Daily News reported that fire trucks could not get down the flooded streets and hydrants were under water.
“Chunks of the boardwalk and hockey rink have been spotted floating away,” according to the newspaper’s live blog. “The first floor of the 100th Precinct [police station] is under water.”