Fire at Penn Station ruled accidental, blamed on electrical wiring
NEW YORK (WABC) -- An underground fire that caused commuting problems Tuesday morning has been ruled accidental.
The fire marshal reports the cause was electrical in area of temporary wiring used for lighting construction sites.
The third-alarm fire under Penn Station in Midtown started in construction sheds two floors beneath Eighth Avenue and West 33rd Street. It broke out just after 2:30 a.m., but Penn Station remained open. The construction area is under the West End Concourse.
The fire raged out of control for more than an hour, as 150 firefighters struggled to put it out, two stories beneath the street.
Heavy smoke filled the subway station on the A, C and E subway lines. A and E subway trains bypassed the 34th Street station for a period, and the subway station was evacuated of all MTA employees.
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Some LIRR trains were diverted to Atlantic Terminal in Brooklyn or Hunters Point Avenue in Queens, while a few trains also were canceled at Jamaica Terminal in Queens.
The LIRR and A, C and E subways are now running back to normal after delays and limited stops through the morning rush hour.
The fire also knocked out power to three of the nine LIRR tracks that bring service into Penn Station, which did not immediately affect service.
Eighth Avenue was closed from West 31st Street to West 34th Street, while 34th Street was closed between Seventh and Eighth avenues for fire department activity; 33rd was also closed through the area.
LIRR spokesman Sal Arena said there was no damage to platform and track areas. Normal rail service was expected later Tuesday and no problems were anticipated for the evening rush.
Three subway lines, the A, E and C, which had been bypassing Penn Station, resumed running through the area at 5:38 a.m. with residual delays.
Carolyn Greenblatt, 24, said she would be late to her job at a VA medical center because her 8:09 train to St. Albans was canceled.
"There's still a train, I'll just have to take a later one," she said.
