April 13, 2017 Staff Report
A contractor has been arrested for setting ablaze a 112-unit Elmhurst apartment building Tuesday that led to the evacuation of the building and 11 injured firefighters.
According to the FDNY, 53-year-old contractor Declan Mcelhatton of Maintenance Asset Management in Yonkers was arrested yesterday and charged with arson and reckless endangerment.
FDNY Fire Marshalls determined that the cause of the fire, which left 112 apartments damaged at 56-11 94th Street, was an open flame near combustible material.
The fire broke out around 6:25 p.m. on Tuesday evening, and was raised to a five-alarm fire by 7:08 p.m.
It took more than 200 firefighters to get the blaze under control by 10:30 p.m., and 11 firefighters were injured while trying to put out the fire. None of the residents were hurt.
Declan Mcelhatton (source: FDNY)
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