Headaches For Travelers After Fire Prompts Evacuation Of Newark Airport Terminal Twice
NEWARK, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- An early morning fire that forced a terminal at Newark Liberty Airport to be evacuated twice is causing travel headaches for passengers on Monday.
The fire started around 1:15 a.m. in the ceiling of a boiler room in Terminal B, about the same time a flight to Hong Kong was scheduled to depart.
About 200 passengers were evacuated as smoke poured into the terminal.
"All of a sudden we started to smell smoke and you could see it rising over the top and then about 10 fire trucks showed up," said CBS News producer Nick Fineman, who was among the passengers first evacuated.
Firefighters put out the flames and people were allowed back inside, but by 3 a.m., officials said the fire reignited and passengers were forced outside a second time.
Pictures from travelers showed the plumes visible from the tarmac as crews worked to put out the flames.
"They just evacuated us outside," traveler Fernando Bordo told CBS2's Janelle Burrell. "No communication other than step outside."
There were no reports of any injuries and the smoke was ventilated from the terminal.
The terminal finally reopened again around 5:30 a.m., but officials said it caused nine of the terminal's 25 gates to close. Some flights that regularly use the terminal also had to be moved to other gates, officials said.
"Well, they cancelled it twice," passenger Sherman Porterfield said.
"I'm supposed to be in Palm Springs today at 12 o'clock and now they say I won't get there 'till 10:30 tonight, so I have no idea," said passenger Kerri Talmadge.
Customers are being advised to check with their airlines.
Port Authority officials said the cause of the fire was believed to electrical.