Flames erupted from an Upper East Side apartment building currently undergoing a gut renovation Wednesday afternoon sending bright orange flames shooting from the scaffolding surrounding the structure and thick smoke billowing into the sky.
More than 100 firefighters raced to 1022 Lexington Avenue, at the corner of East 73rd Street, after the quick-spreading fire sparked at the building just before 6:00 pm.
A second alarm was called approximately 15 minutes later, directing more FDNY trucks and firefighters, including Midtown high-rise rescue units, to the scene.
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Firefighters were seen on the scaffolding of the building, running their hoses up four stories to the roof, where stubborn pockets of fire required some extra attention.
At one point, FDNY commanders on scene were heard over radio communications instructing everyone to get off the scaffolding and get away from underneath it as crews doused the roof with water.
The fire was declared under control less than an hour after the flames erupted at the Upper East Side building, which will eventually become the home of a new upscale Italian restaurant set to open on the ground floor later this year.
A representative for owners Nick Tsoulos and Nick Pashalis — the same restauranteurs behind Anassa Taverna and Patsy’s Pizzeria on the UES — told Community Board 8 last week that new unnamed establishment would not be opening for at least six months.
The Department of Buildings was also been called to the scene, as is the protocol where a structure under construction is involved, to conduct a stability inspection.
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DOB tells Upper East Site that the roof and netting around the building were damaged in the fire, but the scaffolding itself was not. However, a partial Stop Work Order was issued for the work site until repairs could be done to shore up the roof and make it safe.
One firefighter was taken to Lenox Hill Hospital for minor injuries, official say. The cause of the fire is under investigation by FDNY Fire Marshals.
