Flames tore through the roof of a Ridgewood rowhouse before dawn, forcing residents into the frigid street in coats and slippers as ladders pierced the smoke and water froze mid-air. By sunrise on January 6, 2026, the five-alarm blaze had damaged four buildings on Madison Street, displaced 15 households, and injured five firefighters.
FDNY Mobilizes Rapidly
Fire Department of New York units arrived at 3:24 a.m. to a three-story multi-family home at 18-24 Madison Street, between Seneca and Onderdonk Avenues. Heavy fire on the first floor raced through interior shafts to every level and the roof, which collapsed into the top floor. As flames jumped to adjacent structures at 18-12, 18-20, and 18-26 Madison Street, a second alarm sounded. In the dense rowhouse neighborhood, the blaze outpaced early containment, escalating to five alarms by 4:31 a.m. Crews encountered a malfunctioning hydrant during operations, adding to response challenges.
Frigid Conditions Compound Dangers
Near-freezing temperatures turned the scene treacherous. Ice coated ladders and streets, slowing firefighters who rotated shifts to combat frostbite and exhaustion. Falling debris, including a flaming air conditioner that struck one firefighter in the head, heightened risks amid unstable walls and rooftops. Crews battled for over five hours from streets and roofs until control at 8:53 a.m., preventing wider spread.
Neighborhood and Firefighter Toll
The fire rendered all four buildings uninhabitable, prompting full vacate orders from the Department of Buildings. The primary structure held six apartments. The Red Cross registered 15 households for assistance—26 adults and six children—though additional residents may have self-relocated. Streets closed for hours, disrupting local traffic. Five firefighters suffered injuries, two seriously—one from the air conditioner impact, another with significant injuries requiring hospitalization. Both were transported conscious but in pain; one civilian had minor injuries. No fatalities occurred.
Community Response and Leadership
Aid mobilized swiftly. The Red Cross assisted displaced households with food, blankets, shelter at P.S. 239Q, mental health support, and medication replacements. Assembly Member Jenifer Rajkumar launched clothing drives at a local restaurant. Queens Borough President Donovan Richards pledged borough resources. Mayor Zohran Mamdani visited, praising responders and committing a coordinated city effort amid housing shortages. FDNY Chief John Esposito highlighted the firefighters’ resolve under duress.
Winter Fire Vulnerabilities Exposed
This marked New York City’s second five-alarm fire in two days, after a Bronx incident. Older rowhouses, with interior voids and air shafts channeling flames vertically, prove especially prone to rapid fire spread, complicating evacuations. Investigators probe an undetermined cause, while hydrant maintenance draws scrutiny. Aging infrastructure in dense blocks like Ridgewood amplifies threats. The FDNY continues to offer free smoke detector installations as a frontline defense. As probes continue and structural assessments begin, the incident spotlights the need for prevention upgrades to shield families from future sparks in strained urban housing.
Sources:
QNS – “FDNY battles massive five-alarm multi-building fire in Ridgewood” – January 5, 2026
ABC7 New York – “Ridgewood, Queens fire injures 5 FDNY firefighters” – January 5, 2026
CBS News New York – “6 hurt, including 5 firefighters, in 5-alarm Ridgewood, Queens building fire” – January 5, 2026
People Magazine – “Firefighter Struck by Falling AC Unit, 5 Others Injured in Blaze” – January 6, 2026
CBS News New York – “5-alarm fire tears through Bronx building, leaving dozens displaced” – January 4, 2026
New York Post – “FDNY firefighter hit in head by falling air conditioner during raging inferno” – January 6, 2026