A 2-year-old boy died in a raging house fire in Queens overnight that saw flames leap from a top-floor window, authorities say.
The NYPD identified the victim in the Jamaica house fire as Jason Eli. Fire officials responding to a call about the blaze on 106th Avenue around 11 p.m. Sunday encountered heavy flames.
Video from the scene showed firefighters using a ladder to access the flaming window. Police say the baby was found on one of the upper floors. He was pronounced dead at a hospital.
Eli's family shared a photo of him dressed up to go to church earlier in the day. Fire investigators said that the toddler lived in the attic with his 4-year-old brother, mom and dad.
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The cause of the fire is under investigation. Building inspectors said that the owner illegally converted the single family home into five single room units.
"It's sad. It's really sad," said Gregory Lewis, little Eli's great uncle. "The house can be replaced, but a life lost, you know, can never be replaced."
Lewis said that the yellow home was multigenerational, with about 10 people living there. The DOB also told NBC New York that prior to the fire, the department had never received a complaint about the property.
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No other injuries were reported.
