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Midtown Rooftop Fire Near NYC St. Patrick’s Parade Contained Within an Hour

Officials are investigating rooftop HVAC equipment, including a cooling tower, as the likely source.

Overview

  • Flames and thick black smoke erupted around 9:45 a.m. from the roof at 6 East 43rd Street between Fifth and Madison avenues.
  • FDNY deployed roughly 140 fire and EMS personnel, bringing the wind-driven blaze under control by about 11 a.m., according to officials.
  • Evacuations included the affected building and upper floors of nearby towers, and city alerts warned of road closures and transit delays near East 43rd and Madison.
  • The St. Patrick’s Day Parade proceeded without major disruption, with no widely confirmed serious injuries and reports of minor smoke inhalation for an EMS lieutenant and a police officer.
  • The property is under renovation by the Vanbarton Group, and preliminary accounts also noted a backup generator with about 100 gallons of diesel fuel on the roof.