A massive smoky fire erupted atop a Midtown Manhattan office building Tuesday near the start of the St. Patrick’s Day parade, FDNY officials said.
The fire broke out on top of the 27-story highrise on E. 43rd St. near Madison Ave. about 9:45 a.m.
Firefighters immediately ran to the roof, where a generator running the building’s heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system had caught fire, officials said.
FDNY members respond to a fire on top of a 27-story high-rise on E. 43rd St. near Madison Ave. in Manhattan on Tuesday. (Barry Williams/ New York Daily News)
The fire was producing massive black curls of smoke spotted by St. Patrick’s Day revelers as they prepared for the parade.
Firefighters put out the blaze in a few minutes. No injuries were reported.
The cause of the fire was under investigation.
FDNY members respond to a fire on top of a 27-story high-rise on E. 43rd St. near Madison Ave. in Manhattan on Tuesday, March 17, 2026, in New York. City (Barry Williams/ New York Daily News)
“I’m monitoring the fire near the start of the St Patrick’s Day Parade on 43rd Street and 5th Avenue, a few blocks from my New York City office,” Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY) said on X. “Thank you to the @FDNY for their quick response and to all the first responders for working as swiftly as possible to put the fire out.”
“Please stay safe as you celebrate St. Patrick’s Day today, New York!” he wrote.
Firefighters from New York Fire Department (NYFD) work at the scene as fire and heavy smoke are seen at a high-rise building in Midtown Manhattan near the St. Patrick’s Day Parade route. (Photo by TIMOTHY A.CLARY / AFP via Getty Images)