New York – Today, a fire started on a New York University Langone Medical Center building that was under construction. Since then the fire got extinguished by the New York Fire Department. About 106 firefighters came to action and set the fire off after just one hour since it started. The fire rose up at noon about 12:13 p.m.
The two-alarm fire prompted some patients on the north side of Tisch Hospital facing the construction, to be moved to the south side of the building. As of now, they have all been located back to their respective rooms. One civilian suffered minor injuries but did not require hospitalization. Other than that, there was not much disturb caused by the events. Hospital operations did not cease at any time.
The blaze got controlled fast, although it was not causing too much drama
The Commissioner of the Fire Department of New York, Daniel Nigro said very little smoke got into the hospital and when it happened, the ventilation systems went off quickly and according to the procedure, eradicating the issue.
What caught fire inside the building was insulation material called “rigid board” that was in the on the seventh floor of the 560 First Ave. near East 30th Street, vacant property at the Kimmel Pavilion. Construction equipment was also among the things that burned up in flames.
The hospital is giving itself a fresh face
The NYU Langone facility has been making out a massive renovation and a series of building to its campus, under the leadership of the college Dean and CEO Dr. Robert I. Grossman and Vicki Match Suna, AIA, vice dean for real estate development and facilities. Most of them are happening in patient care facilities like the Helen L. and Martin S. Kimmel Pavilion and the Tisch Hospital. It is bound to be the most sweeping revitalization in NYU Langone’s history.
Langone Hospital representative, Jim Mandler gave more details to the media outlets covering what happened. He made clear that the thick black smoke and flames could be seen rising from the roof came from a building that is scheduled to open its doors in 2018. It is still unknown what the building will be destined to.
“There was no concern we had to move [patients]. This fire was not in the hospital building. It was in the building adjacent to where Tisch Hospital is, which is part of NYU Langone Medical Center,” said Joe Lhota, another spokesperson for the medical center to the press.
He also thanked and congratulated the team of firefighters for acting so quickly and efficiently.
The reason for the fire remains unclear, but an investigation is undergoing. Social media users, including the fire department and the hospital, shared a lot of pictures and videos of what was happening. New York´s Office of Emergency Management issued an alert suggesting people who live and work in the area to shut their windows, so the smoke does not bother them.
Source: Reuters