December 19, 2025 JACKSON HEIGHTS, QUEENS — I’ve covered the "early morning calls" for three decades, and they never get easier. At 5:10 a.m. on Thursday, while most of Jackson Heights was still asleep, a quiet apartment building on 80th Street became a death trap.
When the smoke finally cleared, an 80-year-old woman was gone, leaving behind a shattered roommate, a trail of injured neighbors, and a grim warning from the FDNY about a rising "senior fire epidemic" in New York City.
A Desperate Escape: "I Broke the Window with My Hand"
The fire ignited on the first floor, quickly filling the residence with suffocating, black smoke. Jon Blandon, the victim’s roommate, recounted the harrowing seconds where survival meant a leap into the unknown.
"In desperation, I broke the window with my hand," Blandon said, his hands now swathed in heavy bandages. But the physical pain is nothing compared to the guilt of being unable to reach his roommate. "I went to go outside to help her... the smoke came into the bedroom and I couldn't breathe."
The Deadly Cause: Smoking and "Cluttered Conditions"
Fire officials have officially ruled the cause of the blaze: smoking. Tragically, the victim’s struggle to escape may have been hampered by her own home. Chief Fire Marshal Daniel Flynn noted that cluttered conditions inside the apartment likely turned the space into a maze, making a quick exit impossible as the flames spread.
The Toll: Neighbors and Firefighters in the Line of Fire
The 80-year-old wasn't the only victim of the morning’s chaos:
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One resident was injured while desperately climbing down the fire escape.
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A firefighter was rushed to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries sustained while battling the inferno.
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Two other residents were treated for injuries at the scene.
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The American Red Cross is now assisting five survivors, including a child, who have been displaced from their homes.
