QUEENS — Fire ripped through a pair of Hollis homes just blocks apart Tuesday night — including one that was sparked by a space heater as temperatures dipped into the single digits, officials said.
First, flames erupted on the second floor of 109-05 191st St. about 10:30 p.m., sparked by a space heater.
The blaze raged until the approximately 105 firefighters who responded finally brought it under control about 11:40 p.m., an FDNY spokesman said.
Then, a fire engulfed 104-19 198th St. about an hour later, the spokesman said. The cause of that fire was still under investigation.
Temperatures hovered around 9 degrees Tuesday night with a wind chill making it feel like negative 8 degrees, according to The Weather Channel.
Both blazes were serious, but an FDNY spokesman said that in cold weather, more firefighters are sometimes called to a scene as a precautionary measure.
One firefighter suffered minor injuries in the 198th Street fire, but no other injuries were reported, an FDNY spokesman said.
