The FDNY is battling a burst fire at a Manhattan skyscraper that caused thick smoke near the start of New York’s St. Patrick’s Day parade.
Videos showed flames and a thick cloud of smoke rising from the roof of the building on East 43rd Street, between Fifth Avenue and Madison Avenue, just a block from the parade’s starting point.
The FDNY is operating at a fire on East 43rd Street in Manhattan.
— FDNY (@FDNY)
The FDNY said the fire broke out just before 10 a.m. in the building’s cooling tower and that no injuries were reported, but it was an all-out operation. According to authorities, it took just under an hour to bring the fire under control.
The building is under renovation, but fire officials said workers may have been inside.
The fire department also posted video of the scene on social media, while images from the ground showed smoke covering the sky.
About 2 million people lined Fifth Avenue for the St. Patrick’s Day parade, which started at 11 a.m. from 44th Street to 79th.
However, a Notify NYC alert about the fire said the public should expect significant traffic delays, road closures and public transportation disruptions due to the presence of emergency forces in the area.
