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Crews battle fire at Trump Tower in New York City

Posted at 7:38 AM, Jan 08, 2018
and last updated 2018-01-08 08:49:11-05

Two people suffered minor injuries after a fire broke out at Trump Tower Monday morning, FDNY said.

Secret service members spotted smoke on the building’s roof, then contacted a fire safety director in the lobby who used cameras to locate flames coming from a vent, FDNY Manhattan Borough Commander Roger W. Sakowich said.

The blaze was reported at 721 5th Ave. at 6:58 a.m., FDNY said, first describing the fire as coming from the building’s top floor.

FDNY later said flames were located on the roof, and there was never fire inside the building.

Debris fell on a firefighter during the incident, and an engineer using a fire extinguisher to try and stop the fire inhaled smoke, Sakowich said. Both sustained minor injuries, and the engineer refused aid.

President Donald Trump was not at the Manhattan high-rise at the time of the fire. He is scheduled to appear at an event in Tennessee Monday afternoon.

Tenants inside Trump Tower were advised to stay in place, and the building was never evacuated, Sakowich said.

Dark plumes smoke came from the building’s roof just after 7 a.m., as firefighters first started to battle the blaze.

As firefighters sprayed water on the flames, steam billowed from the roof due to the frigid weather. Temperatures in Manhattan were 19 degrees at the time of the blaze, Sakowich said.

The fire was knocked down around 8 a.m., according to Sakowich.

Investigators are looking into a possible electric issue as the cause of the fire, Sakowich said.

Trump’s son, and the executive vice president of The Trump Organization, Eric Trump tweeted that an electrical fire in a cooling tower was being eyed as the cause.