An underground transformer erupted beneath the iconic Tiffany & Co. building in Midtown Thursday morning – engulfing the outside of the structure in thick gray smoke.
The blaze, which stemmed from an electrical vault, broke out around 9:30 a.m. – causing plumes of heavy smoke to surround the newly refurbished building on Fifth Avenue near East 57th Street – located right next to Trump Tower, FDNY officials said.
“It was an underground transformer, either overheating or some type of electrical issue,” FDNY Battalion 8 Chief Richard Blasi told reporters in Midtown.
“It’s an outside transformer fire, which had nothing to do with the [Tiffany’s building]. It was isolated. All we had to do was stand by and make sure there was no extension until ConEd cut the power to it.”
Blasi confirmed that no smoke entered the store – not even in the basement.
Firefighters evacuated about 100 people from the building as a precaution, with two suffering minor injuries during the process, Deputy Fire Chief Joseph Carlsen said.
Smoke coming from underneath the Tiffany’s building after an underground transformer explosion on June 29, 2023. Citizen App
According to the FDNY, the explosion was either caused by overheating or an electrical issue. Citizen App
People standing outside of the iconic Manhattan store during the fire. Citizen AppAbout 150 firefighters responded, and crews put water on the smoldering transformer, Blasi said.
Smokeaters could be seen spraying water into a grate just outside the front door of the building on 57th Street.
“It was an electrical fire,” Con Edison spokesman Alfonso Quiroz told The Post, noting the exact cause was being investigated.
FDNY firefighters responding to the fire underneath Tiffany’s. Robert Miller
According to the FDNY, no smoke entered the store or the building’s basement. Robert Miller“There appears to be some smoke damage to the building exterior but no reports of damage to the interior,” he added.
The fire broke out at around 9:30 a.m. and was placed under control by noon, FDNY officials said.
The store, set to open at 10 a.m., was closed and there were no customers inside when the transformer erupted, according to a Tiffany & Co. maintenance worker who was in the building but would not give his name.
Two people were taken to the hospital during the incident. Robert Miller
The fire was put under control by noon, the FDNY said. Citizen App
There was no reported damage to the interior of the store. Citizen App“Smoke was coming out the front door by 9:30am,” the maintenance man said. “Firefighters turned up 10 minutes later.
“I was upstairs. I got a call and left the building … I didn’t hear a fire alarm,” he added.
“Oh man, it’s a nice store.”
A Tiffany spokesperson said the landmark location was set to open later Thursday following an inspection by the fire marshall.
“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,” the rep told NBC News in a statement.
“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 — made famous by the 1961 movie “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” starring Audrey Hepburn — reopened in April following a major renovation.
With Post wires
