MIDTOWN — An electrical fire broke out in a Midtown firehouse Tuesday afternoon, but firefighters quickly extinguished it, officials said.
Firefighters at the Engine 65 firehouse, 33 W. 43rd St. between Fifth and Sixth avenues, heard popping noises and noticed the lights flickering about 4:50 p.m., FDNY Battalion Chief Mark Rosenbaum said.
"They went down to the basement to investigate and saw the fire," Rosenbaum said, and they immediately called in the alarm.
Another nearby company responded, and later additional members of Engine 65, who were out on another call, joined in as well, Rosenbaum said.
"We [were] surprised," said Phil Polemen, a lieutenant with Engine 65, who wasn't in the firehouse when the fire started. "We heard it on the radio and we knew the address."
Polemen said he initially thought the firefighter who called in the blaze was joking, but it turned out to be a "decent-sized fire," he said.
The fire was under control by 5:05 p.m. and no one was hurt, the FDNY said.
The FDNY believes the fire started when rainwater from the street flowed into the firehouse's basement and came into contact with electrical equipment, Rosenbaum said.
