NEW YORK, NY – A fire erupted Wednesday morning on the roof of a 72-story luxury residential skyscraper under construction at 125 Greenwich Street in Lower Manhattan, sending smoke billowing into the sky. The building, which has been in the works for over five years and faced delays due to the coronavirus pandemic, is close to completion.
Fortunately, there have been no reported injuries.
Inspectors from the Department of Buildings found that the fire started when insulation caught alight during welding operations to install brackets on the cooling tower’s wall. The New York Fire Department was swiftly called to extinguish the blaze.
The investigation revealed a lack of safety measures during the welding, resulting in an unsafe condition that led to the fire. A Stop Work Order for all hot work on the roof has been issued, alongside violations for the contractor’s failure to safeguard the site.