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01/19/2013 03:42 PM

Police Investigate Deadly Queens Fire

By: NY1 News

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Police are investigating a deadly residential fire in Queens.

According to police, 60 firefighters responded to 911 calls in Richmond Hill just before 1 a.m. Saturday, where a small garage was engulfed in flames.

Inside, they found the body of an unidentified man that was badly burned.

Police said the man may have been homeless.

Neighbors said they've been reporting illegal activity at the location for years, but up to now, no one has done anything about it.

"We see about six to seven people every night," said Ricardo Chauca, a neighbor. "I can honestly say every single night during the week that, you know, poor people would go back there, people with no shelter would go back there and look for a place of shelter. And now that this happened, you know, it's unfortunate to hear that one person died."

According to residents that live in the area, the garage was behind a home that has been boarded up for many years.

The fire also caused minor damage to surrounding buildings.

It's unclear what started the fire.