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Fire In Queens Burns 80 Homes

Dawn Megli |
October 30, 2012 | 8:33 a.m. PDT

Executive Producer

Firefighters had to rescue those trapped in burning homes by boat. (YouTube)
Firefighters had to rescue those trapped in burning homes by boat. (YouTube)
A massive fire ripped through a flooded neighborhood in Queens, New York and has burned at least 80 homes early Tuesday, according to the Associated Press.

The fire started late Monday night in an area of Roackaway peninsula where high winds downed trees and power lines. 200 firefighters battled to contain the flames, but chest-high water in the street made fighting the fire dangerous. Several dozen people had to be rescued from the six-alarm blaze by boat.Three people were injured, including one firefighter. 

SEE ALSO: Sandy Costs: 22 Dead, $20 Billion In Damage

 

“The damage was massive and widespread,” said Dennis Dier, director of security for local Breezy Point. “This is New York’s Katrina.”

 

It is not clear what started the fire, according to CNN.

ABC caught footage of homes as they burned.

 

SEE ALSO: Hurricane Sandy Threatens Early Voting In Swing States

The Queens fire was one of 23 that broke out in the city during the storm, Businessweek reported. The fire occured in an area classified by New York City Office of Emergency Management as a Zone A area, the highest rating given for flood risk, NBC reported. 

SEE ALSO: Hurricane Sandy Forces Mass Evacuations In Mid-Atlantic

Click here for more coverage of Tropical Cyclone Sandy. 

Reach Executive Producer Dawn Megli here. Follow her on Twitter here. 

[View the story "Photos: Sandy Floods New York City" on Storify]



 

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Craig Gillespie directed this true story about "the most daring rescue mission in the history of the U.S. Coast Guard.”

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