A fire broke out in Midtown Manhattan on Tuesday morning — St. Patrick’s Day — sending thick smoke billowing into the air and prompting a major emergency response near one of the city’s busiest corridors.
The FDNY said it received a call for a roof fire at 6 East 43rd Street, just off Madison Avenue and steps from Grand Central Terminal.
Video posted by the department showed heavy smoke pouring from the building as crews responded to the scene.
@FDNY is on scene for a large generator fire on the roof of a 28-story building in midtown (E 43rd St) #whatisnewyork pic.twitter.com/jpcLkw0bG7
— WhatIsNewYork (@whatisny) March 17, 2026
BREAKING NEWS: Thick plumes of black smoke are billowing from the roof of a building in Midtown.
We'll have more updates at https://t.co/RUXHpDUFBQ as this story develops.https://t.co/kbxd47slcm pic.twitter.com/2QXoSsvfOT
— Eyewitness News (@ABC7NY) March 17, 2026
🚨 BREAKING: The FDNY is currently battling a rooftop fire on East 43rd Street in Manhattan, as smoke billows near the St Patrick's Day Parade.
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) March 17, 2026
“The FDNY is operating at a fire on East 43rd Street in Manhattan,” the department said in a post on X.
The FDNY is operating at a fire on East 43rd Street in Manhattan. pic.twitter.com/SlJ0UrbSY8
— FDNY (@FDNY) March 17, 2026
City emergency alerts warned of significant disruptions in the area.
“Expect traffic delays, road closures, mass transit disruptions, & emergency personnel near East 43rd Street & Madison Avenue,” the city’s official notification system said. “Use alternate routes.”
Images circulating online showed a plume of dark smoke rising above Midtown buildings during the morning rush.
“Quite the scene this morning on 43rd Street in midtown Manhattan … really hope everyone is alright,” Kevin Gordon of the Schwab Center for Financial Research wrote on X, sharing a photo from the scene.
There were no immediate reports of injuries, and the cause of the fire was not immediately known.
The incident unfolded as thousands were expected to flood Midtown for the city’s annual St. Patrick’s Day parade, raising the potential for additional congestion and delays in an already packed area.
This story is developing…