Thick smoke, flames burst out of skyscraper near World Trade Center after rooftop fire
Thick plumes of smoke were spotted bursting out of an under-construction skyscraper near One World Trade Center Wednesday after a fire broke out on the building’s roof, sending workers sprinting down nearly 70 flights of stairs to safety.
No injuries were reported in the blaze at 125 Greenwich Street, which firefighters responded to around 9:20 a.m., the FDNY said.
Officials said the fire started in an HVAC system located on the 72-story building’s roof.
Construction workers reported they started seeing smoke around 9 a.m., and were immediately told to get out of the building.
“I called my foreman and said ‘I’m seeing a lot of black smoke on the roof, there could possibly be a fire,'” said Chris Alvarez, 29, an electrician with the Local Union 3 IBEW who was fitting lights on the 69th floor when the fire broke out.
“I heard on my foreman’s walkie-talkie the safety guy said ‘Stop what you’re doing and get out of the building,'” he told The Post.
“We ran down the stairs the whole way from the 69th floor,” he said.
Worker Jerson Valencia added, “The smoke was coming out of an air conditioning duct … There were welders there.”
Alvarez said he was glad the workers had a fire drill less than a month ago, adding everyone got out safely and “It all worked out well.”
A spokesperson for the building called the fire “a small incident that took place in an isolated area on the building’s roof” in a statement to The Post.
“There was no structural damage, and the interior of the building was not impacted,” the statement said. “While construction is currently stopped in the affected area, work continues in the building and the construction timeline will move ahead as planned. Safety is a priority for the team, which is also grateful for the work of the FDNY.”
Video of the blaze shows massive plumes of dark smoke quickly rising from the top of the skyscraper.
Social media posters also noted the ominous palls of smoke were not far from One World Trade.
Twenty units, including 78 Fire and EMS personnel, responded to the early-morning blaze.
The fire was under control by 10:06 a.m., officials said.
Fire Marshals are investigating the cause of the blaze.
