[Update] Firefighters Attempt To Fight 5-Alarm Fire In Queens In Wake Of Hurricane Sandy

The remnants of Sandy may be bogging down efforts of firefighters attempting to battle a fire that FDNY officials say is affecting 15 homes in a flooded zone area in the Breezy Point section of the Rockaway peninsula in Queens.

According to NBC New York, FDNY officials say that they responded to calls for a fire in Breezy Point that came in just after 11 pm Monday night.

Fire officials say that the fire is rather difficult to fight because of the heavy winds produced by Hurricane Sandy. The fact that the houses are close together also makes the fire harder to deal with.

According to fire officials, there are 200 firefighters on the scene battling the 5-alarm fire.

Officials say that no people have been pulled out of the houses and that access is very difficult and limited. So far, two people have suffered minor injuries.

The cause of the 5-alarm fire is still not yet known.

The 5-alarm fire is not the only emergency that Queens is facing. Hurricane Sandy has left most of New York and New Jersey in shambles.

According to Fox News, Hurricane Sandy slammed into the East Coast on Monday, killing at least 16 people, hurling a record-breaking 13-foot surge of seawater at New York City, and knocking out power to an estimated 6.2 million people.

The 16 confirmed deaths were reported in New Jersey, New York, Maryland, North Carolina, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut. Some of the victims were killed by falling trees. At least one death was blamed on the storm in Canada.

Here is footage of the 5-alarm fire that is effecting the Breezy Point section in Queens:

UPDATE: The 5-alarm fire has been upgraded to a 6-alarm fire and has affected upwards of 50 homes in Queens, New York.