Convention jitters begin: Underground fire on W. 34th
Convention jitters begin: Underground fire on W. 34th
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Midtown traffic was disrupted and people were evacuated from three commercial buildings near Penn Station on Monday after an underground transformer fire created a heavy smoke condition in the busy area, Fire Department officials said.
One unconfirmed report said two people suffered minor injuries. Four hours after the fire, a Con Edison spokesman said the fire was out and at least one lane of traffic had been reopened.
“Firefighters flooded the vault with foam. We won’t know what happened until we get in there,” said the spokesman, Chris Olert.
Fire Department spokesman Kevin Noland said firefighters evacuated one commercial building at 2ll West 34th Street and two other buildings on either side of it were “voluntarily evacuated” as a precaution.
The fire scene was across the street from Penn Station and Madison Square Garden, the site of next month’s Republican National Convention. Construction of security barriers and other facilities for the convention already is in progress, adding to congestion in the area.
The fire was reported at around 9:15 a.m. No injuries were reported then, but 34th Street between Seventh and Eighth avenues was closed. At least 12 fire units responded to the alarm, Noland said.
Olert said the three buildings suffered power outages. Most severely affected by smoke was 209 West 34th Street, a mixed office and commercial building, at the corner of Seventh Avenue, he said.
Unconfirmed reports said the transformer fire started with an explosion in an underground vault about 9:15 a.m., sending heavy black smoke up through subway gratings.
The subway was not evacuated and the fire did not affect train service, Noland said.
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Midtown traffic was disrupted and people were evacuated from three commercial buildings near Penn Station on Monday after an underground transformer fire created a heavy smoke condition in the busy area, Fire Department officials said.
One unconfirmed report said two people suffered minor injuries. Four hours after the fire, a Con Edison spokesman said the fire was out and at least one lane of traffic had been reopened.
“Firefighters flooded the vault with foam. We won’t know what happened until we get in there,” said the spokesman, Chris Olert.
Fire Department spokesman Kevin Noland said firefighters evacuated one commercial building at 2ll West 34th Street and two other buildings on either side of it were “voluntarily evacuated” as a precaution.
The fire scene was across the street from Penn Station and Madison Square Garden, the site of next month’s Republican National Convention. Construction of security barriers and other facilities for the convention already is in progress, adding to congestion in the area.
The fire was reported at around 9:15 a.m. No injuries were reported then, but 34th Street between Seventh and Eighth avenues was closed. At least 12 fire units responded to the alarm, Noland said.
Olert said the three buildings suffered power outages. Most severely affected by smoke was 209 West 34th Street, a mixed office and commercial building, at the corner of Seventh Avenue, he said.
Unconfirmed reports said the transformer fire started with an explosion in an underground vault about 9:15 a.m., sending heavy black smoke up through subway gratings.
The subway was not evacuated and the fire did not affect train service, Noland said.
