Frank Rondel
A fire broke out in Midtown Manhattan on the morning of March 17, sending thick smoke into the sky just steps from the starting point of New York City’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade, reports customreceipt.com via CBS News New York.
According to the Fire Department of New York (FDNY), the blaze started shortly before 10 a.m. in a cooling tower located on the roof of a high-rise building on East 43rd Street between Fifth Avenue and Madison Avenue. The location is approximately one block from where the annual parade begins. Emergency crews classified the incident as an “all hands” operation, indicating a large-scale response.
Video footage from the scene captured flames rising from the rooftop alongside a dense plume of smoke visible across Midtown. Fire officials reported that the building is currently undergoing renovation, and there was a possibility that construction workers were inside at the time of the incident. Despite the scale of the response, no injuries had been reported.
Authorities confirmed that it took just under an hour to bring the fire under control. Firefighters remained on-site to manage the situation and ensure there was no further risk of spread.
The incident occurred as an estimated two million spectators gathered along Fifth Avenue for the St. Patrick’s Day Parade, which began on schedule at 11 a.m., proceeding from 44th Street north toward 79th Street.
A Notify NYC alert warned of significant traffic congestion, street closures, and disruptions to public transportation in the surrounding area due to emergency operations.
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