Fire breaks out at Tiffany & Co.'s newly-renovated flagship store in Midtown
NEW YORK - Firefighters were on the scene of an underground fire at Tiffany & Co.'s newly-renovated flagship store in Midtown.
We've learned there were injuries in the fire.
Fire officials said it was an underground electrical fire.
Firefighters sprayed water at a grate right in front of the entrance at 57th Street close to Fifth Avenue.
The entire block was closed off on 57th Street between Fifth and Madison Avenues.
The fire broke out around 9:45 a.m., and as Chopper 2 brought to you live on our streaming channel CBS News New York, you could see more smoke billowing from that same grate on 57th Street.
The FDNY said 80 firefighters from 14 units responded.
"This morning prior to store opening hours, an electrical fire broke out in the basement on the periphery of the Tiffany Landmark on Fifth Avenue in New York City. The fire has since been put out and we are working with the New York Fire Department to take precautionary measures to ensure the safety of our employees and clients. The store is expected to open later today following inspection by the Fire Marshal," a Tiffany & Co. spokesperson said.
The spokesperson said there were two minor incidents where employees were not feeling well during the evacuation, but were not injured. They were sent for medical care proactively.
The FDNY said there were no other injuries.
"I saw huge plumes of smoke, and my driver told me that he heard an explosion and people running down the street screaming asking for water," witness Christina Tenedios said. "I'm hoping everyone's OK, hoping everyone's safe, hope nothing serious and no injuries and I hope we see them open sooner than later."
It's not clear what, if any, damage now exists inside Tiffany's building, known as "The Landmark."
The store is expected to reopen Friday.
Units are on scene investigating the cause and inspecting surrounding properties
Again, there were no outages and no injuries but the entire block of 57th closed between Fifth and Park.