Two MTA Bridge and Tunnel officers and five firefighters were injured in a raging Queens fire Wednesday morning, MTA officials said.
The two-alarm blaze broke out shortly after 6:30 a.m. on 51st Avenue near the entrance to the Queens Midtown Tunnel in Long Island City, fire officials said.
Two MTA Bridge and Tunnel sergeants, Kris Owens and Paul Leggio, were preparing for a security checkpoint at the tunnel’s administration building when they spotted flames and smoke at the rear of an apartment building two doors down, the MTA said.
“We saw heavy flames and smoke as we approached, and we started knocking on doors and kicking doors to get the people out,” said Owens.
The four-story apartment building had more than a dozen dozing residents inside when Leggio kicked in the front door and began waking people up, the MTA said.
“Everybody seemed to be sleeping and disoriented, and some people came out in their nightclothes. Within a few minutes we had the building cleared. We got everybody out safely. I’m glad we were there.”
All of the residents were evacuated safely from the building and no civilians were hurt, the MTA said.
Two other MTA Bridge and Tunnel officers were treated for minor injuries at Bellevue Hospital. Five firefighters also suffered various injuries, a statement by the MTA states.