QUEENS — A man was found dead in the attic of a vacant Richmond Hill apartment after a fire tore through it Wednesday morning, police said.
Investigators were still trying to identify the man whom they found inside 94-53 Lefferts Blvd., near 95th Avenue. The fire scorched the second floor and attic after erupting about 1:17 a.m., NYPD and FDNY officials said.
The man was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.
"There were flames a couple feet high coming from the top. They were orangish-red," said neighbor Skay Khatri, 21.
"There were a lot of firefighters. They were up on the ladders with a lot of hoses," Khatri said.
The blaze was brought under control about 1:50 a.m., the FDNY said.
The building was considered vacant and frequented by squatters, an NYPD spokeswoman said.
Fire marshals were still trying to figure out what sparked the blaze, officials said.