Christmas market fire “destroys at least four shops” as firefighters battle blaze in popular winter village
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Christmas market fire “destroys at least four shops” as firefighters battle blaze in popular winter village

Posted on by Amelia Pressman

Firefighters were on duty at a popular Christmas market today after a fire broke out at one of its stalls.

The Winter Village in Bryant Park in New York City burst into flames on Friday morning, sending clouds of black smoke billowing across the Big Apple.

Shortly after 9am (2pm in the UK), emergency services in America’s largest city were called to the scene where they discovered several market stalls engulfed in flames.

Additional footage from the scene showed smoke billowing across the site, right next to the New York Public Library and blocks from landmarks like the Empire State Building and Rockefeller Center.

Firefighters and fire in the market

Firefighters rushed to the scene of the accident in Bryant Park

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The fire destroyed at least four pop-up shops and damaged a fifth, according to reporters at the scene.

One of those reporters, Howard Weiss, published clips of New York City Fire Department officials poring over charred rubble after the fire.

“Get out, get out, let’s go, get out, get out,” a security guard in the park can be heard shouting to passers-by in a video shared on social media, as flames at a stand continue to grow.

It remains unclear what caused the inferno – but the New York City Emergency Management Agency warned commuters to expect traffic delays and road closures in the area.

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Fire in the market

The Winter Village in Bryant Park in New York City burst into flames on Friday morning

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FDNY Battalion Chief Joe Castellano said the cause of the fire was under investigation – and confirmed there were no injuries in the fire.

But he also warned that the roof of an ice rink in Bryant Park was damaged by the inferno.

A statement from the park on social media said, “We are grateful for the FDNY’s quick response to the incident that occurred earlier today.”

“The Rink and The Lodge are currently open. Most The Holiday Shops have reopened and we expect all Holiday Shops not affected by the fire to reopen later today.”

Map of New York

The fire broke out blocks from landmarks like the Empire State Building and Rockefeller Center

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The fire isn’t the only one to rock New York this holiday season – Friday’s incident is the second of its kind in just under two weeks.

On December 16, another fire broke out at the Herald Square Holiday Market, requiring at least 60 firefighters and emergency responders to respond to the fire on Broadway between West 35th Street and West 36th Street.

A firefighter was seriously injured in the incident.

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