Early morning shoppers and workers were evacuated from the New World Mall in Flushing after an electrical fire sent heavy smoke throughout the building just before 10 a.m. on Saturday, March 29.
The mall, located at 120-36 Roosevelt Ave., was quickly cleared as firefighters responded to the emergency.
Firefighters arrived to find arcing wires and heavy smoke conditions extending from the basement through the third floor of the building. Jessica Chan, a witness, described the situation, saying, “I started smelling smoke while in the store and alarms were ringing. Some seniors were disoriented by the smoke condition.”
Security guards were seen preventing people from reentering the building as firefighters worked to control the situation. More than 100 firefighters from 25 units battled the fire, working to locate the main body of the blaze while ventilating the building using large fans to clear the smoke.
The FDNY employed three hose lines to keep the fire contained to the basement area where the blaze originated.
The mall, a popular shopping destination with a well-known Asian market and food court on the lower level, sustained significant smoke damage, but its full extent is still being assessed.
The fire was placed under control by 12:15 p.m., and there were no reported injuries.
The Fire Department’s Fire Marshal Office will investigate the cause of the fire.
