A fire erupted Wednesday afternoon at an illegal Queens daycare hurting 18 children including one listed in critical condition, authorities said.
Firefighters responded to reports of a blaze in a two-story Kew Gardens Hills residence at around 2 p.m.
Eighteen children were removed from the burning property and were listed in stable condition except for one, who was rushed to Cornell Hospital suffering smoke inhalation.
The FDNY said that the fire may have been triggered by a lithium-ion battery from an electric scooter.
“That was scary to see a whole bunch of kids coming out,” a neighbor said. “I saw one in a blanket, that the firefighter took I think, he was running with him.”
The neighbor added that the smoke was so thick that she had to close the door and windows before it filled her own home.
