A cooling system on the roof of Trump Tower in midtown overheated Monday, sparking the fire that injured a firefighter and two others, the FDNY said.
The blaze at 721 Fifth Ave., between 56th and 57th streets, started at about 7 a.m. on Jan. 8, a spokesman said. The skyscraper is where President Donald Trump lived before moving to the White House last year.
The fire was accidental, the FDNY said on Twitter Friday: “Per #FDNY Fire Marshals: Cause of 1/8 all-hands fire at 721 5th Ave Manhattan was accidental, overheated cooling tower system – failure to cool hardwired electric heating element.”
One firefighter sustained a minor injury when a piece of debris fell on him, Asst. Chief Roger Sakowich said at the scene.
An engineer who went up to the roof with a fire extinguisher also had a minor injury, but he refused medical treatment, Sakowich said. There was one other civilian who had a minor injury, the FDNY later said.
The fire was placed under control at about 8:15 a.m., the department said. There was no smoke condition or fire inside the building, Sakowich said.
While speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One Monday afternoon, White House Deputy Press Secretary Hogan Gidley said he “was not aware” that a fire had broken out at the president’s namesake tower. It wasn’t clear when Trump was told of the incident.
With Laura Figueroa Hernandez
