NEW YORK — A fast-moving fire in a storage shed on the roof of a commercial building sent thick black smoke throughout midtown Manhattan on Thursday.
Clouds of smoke billowed and flashes of orange flames were visible on top of the 13-story building as firefighters arrived just before 6 p.m. The blaze was under control about half an hour later, and no injuries were reported, the fire department said.
Kevin Cantfield, a graphics designer for handbag-maker Coach Inc., said he was in his office on the top floor of offices when he heard a noise from the roof and began to smell smoke. He said a maintenance worker urged him and his co-workers to leave the building, which is a few blocks west of Madison Square Garden and Pennsylvania Station.
The wood on the company’s roof deck was being restained, he said. The fire department could not yet say whether the work might have led to the blaze.
Cantfield and his co-workers crowded outside and stared up at their offices as flames leaped overhead.
More than 100 firefighters worked to bring the flames under control.