Small fire erupts in Empire State Building underground level
In this April 30, 2013 file photo, New York’s Empire State Building rises above neighboring structures in midtown Manhattan. The New York City Fire Department responded to a small electrical fire in the building on Friday, March 17, 2017. The building’s owner, the Empire State Realty Trust, says the fire was in a contained area on the underground Concourse level. It was placed under control in about two hours. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)
NEW YORK — The Empire State Building’s owner says it’s all-clear at the famous skyscraper after a small electrical fire on a below-ground floor.
No injuries were reported in Friday’s fire. Other floors and the tourist-attracting Observatory remained open.
Firetrucks lined streets around the tower after the Fire Department of New York was summoned around 2:30 p.m., while the city’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade was underway nearby.
Allan Drury, a spokesman for utility Con Edison, says there was a problem with an electrical service line to the building. Firefighters say the situation was under control within about two hours.
The building’s owner, the Empire State Realty Trust, says the fire was in a contained area on the underground Concourse level. It includes the management office and a fitness center.
