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MANHATTAN — About five manholes caught on fire on the Upper East Side late Tuesday afternoon, causing at least one building to be partially evacuated and shutting down a stretch of First Avenue, the FDNY said.
Sixty firefighters responded to a call that came in about 4:36 p.m. about smoke and fire coming out of manholes on First Avenue between East 70th and 72nd streets, according to an FDNY spokeswoman.
The basement and first floor of 1315 First Ave. were evacuated and the road was closed as firefighters and Con Edison were on the scene, the spokeswoman said.
The cause of the smoke and flames was not immediately clear. There were no injuries reported shortly after 6 p.m., the FDNY said.