1 person killed, several injured in Elmhurst house fire: FDNY

EAST ELMHURST, Queens (PIX11) -- One person was killed and several were injured in a house fire in Queens Friday night, officials said.

The fiery inferno broke out in a three-story home on 89th Street in East Elmhurst on Friday around 11 p.m., according to officials. Firefighters responded to the blaze and discovered a man unconscious on the second floor, officials said. First responders rushed the man to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Five other people inside the house were treated for minor injuries along with four firefighters, according to officials. Jose Corona who lives inside the home speculated that the fire may have been started by his electric scooter.

"As I unplugged it, I was on the first floor, I went to the second floor to eat breakfast. As I was putting my cereal in the bowl I heard an explosion, like gunfire. Once I opened the door, on the second floor the stairs was already on fire in seconds," Corona told PIX11 News.

Once the flames were out, members of the hazmat team removed several lithium-ion batteries from the charred home and took them away in metal drums. Sources told PIX11 News that the fire was caused by an electric bike, however, FDNY did not confirm.

"I want to give thanks to these people who risk their lives for others, they did a good job," Corona said.