More than a hundred firefighters rushed to St. John’s Episcopal Hospital in Far Rockaway to tackle a fire on the building’s roof. Investigators believe the fire started on the roof, where Deputy Assistant Chief Fred Schaaf said work was being done.
He would not say whether the work was connected to the fire, however, and an exact cause was still not clear.
The fire is said to have erupted just about 5 PM and was under control by 6 PM. The emergency room was evacuated and everyone else sheltered in place. At least two civilians suffered minor injuries.
RNSP & Hatzalah rushed to the scene to assist in any way they possibly could, including handing out water to all the misplaced staff. NYPD 101 Precinct’s Commanding Officer sent out a tweet thanking them for their efforts:
New Yorkers are at their best when we all work together. During a fire at St John’s Hospital, first responders from NYPD, Rockaway @hatzalah @RockawayNassau @FDNY, and Far Rockaway community partners worked together to coordinate rescue efforts. #Community #itswhatwedo pic.twitter.com/TSfYfEuV7R
— NYPD 101st Precinct (@NYPD101Pct) September 11, 2021
Crews said only one firefighter suffered minor injuries, but given the proximity to the 9/11 anniversary, the chaotic scene worried a community already on edge.
We assisted by evacuating patients & staff, maintaining traffic & crowd control, and by distributing 🚰 to emergency responders, patients, & staff at the scene of the 🔥 at @StJohnsEpisHosp. This is also something that we do.@FDNY@NYPD101Pct#RLHatzalah@AchiezerFR_5T @JCCofRP pic.twitter.com/a11bfJkhYa
— RNSP (@RockawayNassau) September 12, 2021
