Fire crews in New York rushed to the scene as a fire broke out at a high-rise building close to the start of the city’s St. Patrick’s Day parade.
Video shared online showed a tall plume of black smoke coming from the roof of a building at 6 East 43rd Street between Fifth Avenue and Madison Avenue.
Footage appeared to show the fire coming from a large air conditioning vent, as crews climbed to the roof to fight the blaze.
The fire broke out shortly before the beginning of this year’s parade, which begins walking at 11 a.m. just one block away at 44th street. Some two million people are expected to line the streets of the Big Apple to watch.
Workers in nearby blocks received announcements over their office tannoy and were evacuated. “My whole office left,” one person told The Independent. “It was so scary.”
Sources reported that the flames were under control by 11 a.m. and the the parade was be affected by the incident.
FDNY confirmed that it was on the scene, sharing video footage of the incident, while members of the public were advised to use alternative routes when traveling to and from the area.
No injuries have been reported and sources said that the building was successfully evacuated.
“Expect traffic delays, road closures, mass transit disruptions, & emergency personnel near East 43rd Street & Madison Avenue, Manhattan. Use alternate routes,” the Notify New York account wrote on X.
The building is owned by the Vanbarton Group, who acquired it in September 2025 with the intention of converting the office building into a 400,000-square-foot residential tower.
The project aimed to deliver 441 residential apartments, including 111 affordable apartments, with initial occupancy previously expected by Spring 2027.
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