A raging four-alarm fire ripped through a strip of commercial storefronts in Queens early this morning — and forced the evacuation of 54 apartments, authorities said.
The ferocious blaze — which took three and a half hours to control — started in Acme Furniture Store on 37th Avenue near 84th Street at about 9:53 a.m. and quickly ignited adjacent businesses, according to the FDNY.
Fernando Montaya, a worker at Acme, was grateful to escape the inferno unscathed.
“Thank God I am alive,” said a shaken Montaya, 44.
“I was inside this morning opening up and saw all of the smoke. A man passing by started yelling, ‘fire, fire’, and we ran out. I am still nervous,” Montaya said.
Miraculously, no civilians were hurt, but four firefighters were treated for minor injuries, authorities said.
In all, eight storefronts were destroyed — decimating half of the block.
A nearby residential building with 54 apartments was evacuated as a precautionary measure, but there was no structural damage to the building.
“I’m glad I made it out,” said Jimmy Munar, 47 who bolted from a beauty shop that was gutted in the blaze.
“I just feel bad for the owner of the salon. He worked so hard to get this place.”
The FDNY is still investigating the official cause of the blaze.