By Yepoka Yeebo
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
CHELSEA — A fire broke out at Chelsea Piers early Monday evening, forcing an evacuation of the large sports and recreation complex, fire officials said.
No one was injured in the fire, which began around 6 p.m. beneath Pier 60 at West 20th Street and 11th Avenue, the FDNY said.
The fire department sent scuba divers into the water to find the source of the blaze because it had originated out of plain view, fire sources added.
The flames were sparked by crews performing work underneath the pier, FDNY Deputy Chief James Daly said at the scene. Chelsea Piers spokeswoman Erica Schietinger added that construction work was part of routine maintenance for the pier.
“We put rescue workers under the pier,” Daly said. “They traversed 60 feet under the pier, where they extinguished the fire.”
An FDNY spokesman explained that half a dozen divers stretched a hose underneath the pier to battle the blaze. He added that the divers stood on a strcuture that kept them partially submerged in the water while they extinguished the fire.
The complex's health club and bowling alley had to be evacuated as firefighters brought the blaze under control, Schietinger said.
Chelsea Piers employees reported smelling smoke and hearing fire alarms prior to the evacuation.
“[The alarms] kept going off,” said Lance Scott, who works on Pier 59, adding he thought the alarms were just being tested.
“After about 20 minutes, we looked out the window and there was a battalion of fire trucks, and it’s still growing.”
None of the complex's facilities or businesses suffered damages in the blaze, and visitors were cleared to return to the pier "very quickly" by the fire department, Schietinger said.
About 75 firefighters, including special units like the scuba team, responded to the incident, Daly noted.
