Fire Marshals have determined that an overloaded power strip sparked an all-hands blaze that swept through the upper floors of an Astoria apartment building on September 6th.

Fierce flames and black smoke were billowing from second-story windows at 42-13 23rd Street in Astoria, and two people were sprawled on the sidewalk outside the building when firefighters arrived at the scene just after 8 p.m. on Tuesday, fire officials said.

Eyewitnesses told firefighters they saw the two victims jump from the building in an apparent attempt to escape blistering heat and smoke inside their apartments, an FDNY source said.

Five people were taken to local hospitals with non-life threatening injuries and one person was treated at the scene, officials said. No firefighters were injured in the blaze.

The fire was not without its heroes, the source said. “Our members rescued four victims from the building, including a young mother, her newborn baby and a dog. “Firefighters battling the blaze spotted the young woman screaming, cradling a baby in her arms and quickly scaled a fire escape to bring both of them to safety, the source said.

“One of the tenants remembered to close his apartment door when he fled the building but forgot to make sure his dog got out with him,” the source said. “Firefighters entering the apartment a short while later rescued the pup as it scrambled to safety,” the source said. “The pup was scared and short of breath, but its’ tail was wiggling, so we can write this off as a good save.”

Twelve FDNY units and 60 firefighters battled the blaze for just under a half-hour, placing it under control at about 8:30 p.m., a fire spokesperson said.

Frustrated fire officials said the FDNY has released dozens of warnings to New Yorkers over the years, telling them how dangerous power strips can be if they are overloaded, or if their wiring is frayed or faulty.

“Power strips that provide additional electric outlets are often overburdened with too many items or appliances and electronic devices that require too much power,” officials said. “Too many people run cords from the strips under rugs or carpets or attach them to long extension cords to provide additional outlets.

“New Yorkers have been warned, for years, that these strips are not designed for that type of use and can overheat, sparking a fire. What is it going to take to make people understand and act responsibly to avoid a tragedy?”

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