Fire erupts in Midtown Manhattan at high-rise near NYC St. Patrick's Day Parade

The New York City Fire Department battled a large fire on the roof of a Midtown Manhattan high-rise that sent black smoke into the air near the St. Patrick’s Day Parade on Tuesday.

Videos show flames and the plume of smoke coming from the building at 6 East 43rd St., between Fifth and Madison avenues, just a block from the beginning of the parade route.

The high-rise fire is a block from the start of the St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

CBS News New York

At a news conference, FDNY Deputy Chief Brian Whiston said the fire started burning at around 9:45 a.m. on the roof in the building’s cooling tower, which is part of the HVAC system, leading to an all-hands operation.

The FDNY posted a social media video of the scene outside, while other videos from the ground showed smoke covering the sky above Midtown East.

FDNY said the fire started in the building’s cooling tower.

Citizen

It took a little less than 90 minutes to get the fire under control, Whiston said.

The cause of the blaze was under investigation.

Construction workers evacuated the building

The building in Midtown East is being renovated and firefighters feared some construction workers were stuck inside during the fire.

Whiston confirmed all of the workers evacuated the building and were accounted for.

“The workers are back in, they’re doing their work, and the fire marshals and the inspectors will be in there to see if they’re following the codes and making sure everything’s going the way it’s supposed to be,” Whiston said.

Three people, including an EMS lieutenant and a police officer, suffered minor injuries related to the smoke, according to the deputy chief.

St. Patrick’s Day Parade not impacted

The St. Patrick’s Day Parade stepped off without delay at 11 a.m. from 44th Street heading up to 79th, with an estimated 2 million people lining Fifth Avenue.

Whiston said the fire did not impact the parade, “but it was not in a convenient location.”

A Notify NYC alert about the fire said people should expect major traffic delays, road closures and mass transit disruptions with emergency personnel in the area.

This is a developing story. Please stay with CBS News New York for updates.

Alice Gainer

contributed to this report.

Fire erupts in Midtown Manhattan at high-rise near NYC St. Patrick’s Day Parade

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