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Queens fire kills 60-year-old woman and injures two firefighters

The fatal fire began in a bedroom that was being used for storage. The cause of the fire was still under investigation the evening of Sunday, Jan. 7, 2018.
The fatal fire began in a bedroom that was being used for storage. The cause of the fire was still under investigation the evening of Sunday, Jan. 7, 2018. Photo Credit: Jeff Bachner

A Queens woman was found dead Sunday after flames engulfed her home, authorities said.

Rita Sklar, 60, was discovered in her hallway after firefighters doused the blaze at her 217th Street home, near 67th Avenue.

The fire broke out on the second floor of the two-story Oakland Gardens residence just before 11:20 a.m., an FDNY spokeswoman said, and was under control just under an hour later.

The flames began in a bedroom that was being used for storage, a police source said.

The exact cause of the fire was still under investigation Sunday evening.

The flames required 12 units and 60 firefighters to bring under control, the FDNY spokeswoman said. Two firefighters suffered minor injuries and were taken to area hospitals for treatment.