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Queens Fire Kills 78, Police Shoot Armed Man

7/26/2026

28 4 Full Breakdown

Summary

Firefighters Contain Blaze

A five-alarm fire erupted before 10 a.m. on July 25, 2026 at a wood-frame home on 41st Road in Flushing, Queens.
A 78-year-old woman died, with 21 people—including 17 firefighters—injured.
More than 250 FDNY and EMS responders fought the blaze, which spread to three wooden buildings.
Fire marshals opened an investigation while the Red Cross assisted displaced families as firefighters contained the blaze by 1:45 p.m.

Summary

NYPD Shoots

NYPD officers shot Kegan Thomas, 33, after he left his home with a shotgun and a tactical vest.
His wife called 911, warning he was armed, mentally ill, and shouting “kill them, kill them.”
When the Emergency Service Unit arrived, a garage explosion ignited the house, killing two of Thomas’s relatives.
FDNY contained the blaze by 1:13 p.m., after which Thomas was taken to Jamaica Hospital in critical but stable condition.

History

Historical Context

On March 25 1911 a fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in Manhattan killed 146 immigrant women, prompting Governor John Alden Dix’s 1913 safety reforms and the rise of labor leader Rose Schneiderman. The tragedy led to mandatory fire drills and building codes still cited after the five-alarm Queens blaze in 2026, which injured 21 FDNY and EMS responders.

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Firefighters Contain Blaze

A five-alarm fire erupted before 10 a.m. on July 25, 2026 at a wood-frame home on 41st Road in Flushing, Queens.
A 78-year-old woman died, with 21 people—including 17 firefighters—injured.
More than 250 FDNY and EMS responders fought the blaze, which spread to three wooden buildings.
Fire marshals opened an investigation while the Red Cross assisted displaced families as firefighters contained the blaze by 1:45 p.m.

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