MANHATTAN — More than 100 firefighters battled flames and thick clouds of smoke from a basement fire that broke out in a City College building on Monday morning, officials said.
One civilian and a firefighter were treated for minor injuries, officials said.
The fire erupted in the basement offices of Compton Goethals Hall at 1605 Amsterdam Ave., near West 138th Street, at about 10:40 a.m., according to the FDNY and school officials.
The building, a Neo-Gothic building that houses theater classes and a library, was quickly evacuated as firefighters went to work, school officials said.
"The fire was knocked down pretty quickly, but then we had to deal with a smoke issue," said Deputy Chief Paul Mannix.
"There were a number of hallways. It took a little bit for companies to find the scene of the fire. The very heavy smoke condition hampered their search, but they eventually did find it," Mannix said.
"We brought in ventilation units, set up numerous fans in numerous locations and kept on giung until the smoke and CO levels were at acceptable levels," Mannix said.
About 140 firefighters brought it under control about 12:48 p.m., an FDNY spokeswoman said.
Fire marshals will investigate what sparked the fire, officials said.
The building remained closed after the blaze, officials said. Adminstrators were still trying to figure out where to relocate summer classes and university office workers, CCNY officials said.
