Astoria Fire Department responded to two home blazes Sunday, one likely accidental and another suspicious.
Astoria Fire Chief Ted Ames said his department was dispatched at 4:30 a.m. Sunday to a fire at a home along Lief Erikson Drive between 44th and 45th streets. He said the fire extensively damaged the home’s interior, leaving a few portions of roof collapsing in on the structure.
The fire temporarily blocked traffic, with Astoria Police Department and the state Department of Transportation setting up a detour around the block. Ames said the fire investigation team will be at the site today to determine the cause. “At this point in time, it appears to be accidental,” he said.
On Sunday night, the Astoria Fire Department responded to a possible arson in Emerald Heights Apartments.
Ames said the fire department was dispatched to Halsey Road, where the police were responding to a situation he said preceded a fire in a second-story unit. His crew extinguished the fire, which he said gutted the interior of the unit and caused smoke and water damage to neighbors.
Astoria Police Department, which is investigating the suspected arson, was not immediately available for comment.