Officials: Flooding Likely Sparked Electrical Fire In Financial District Building
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Fire officials were investigating Saturday morning after a blaze broke out at a storm-damaged skyscraper in Lower Manhattan.
Officials believed Saturday that flooding in the building from Superstorm Sandy sparked the electrical fire.
The fire was reported around 9 a.m. Friday in the basement at 55 Water St. in the Financial District.
The fire broke out as electricians tried to restore power to the building for the first time since Sandy, CBS 2's Amy Dardashtian reported. The fire apparently sparked as soon as crews flipped the power switch.
The building was filled with cleanup crews, elevator operators and electricians who were all working to get the building operational.
A total of 28 people suffered smoke inhalation in the blaze, officials said. About 200 people had to be evacuated from the building.
Fire officials on the scene told reporters the fire broke out on a concourse level below the street.
"We're pretty certain that the cause of the fire was the flooding that occurred here," a fire official said.
The 54-story tower houses the offices of several companies and agencies including Standard & Poor's, EmblemHealth and the city Department of Transportation.
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