Chaos and panic ensued at JFK Airport on Wednesday morning as an escalator fire prompted a swift evacuation of one of the airport’s terminals, resulting in multiple injuries.
According to a report from local affiliate NBC4, the FDNY said it responded to a report of smoke at JFK’s Terminal 8 just after 7 a.m.
The source of the smoke turned out to be an escalator that caught fire, according to the FDNY. The fire department remained at the scene for much of the morning.
Nearly 1,000 people in the immediate area of the escalator in Concourse C of Terminal 8 had to be evacuated and bused to another area of the terminal, the Port Authority said. Photos and video from eyewitnesses showed passengers gathered outside on the tarmac.
JFK Airport fire sparks total chaos on the tarmac https://t.co/3Hd0xwfv49 pic.twitter.com/hm3g52s02t
— New York Post (@nypost) July 24, 2024
Nine people were examined after inhaling smoke, according to officials, four of whom were taken to the hospital. All were taken to recover.
Here’s a first-hand account of the fire, smoke, and evacuation:
A fire broke out at New York's John F. Kennedy (JFK) International Airport on Wednesday morning, prompting evacuations and delayed flights. https://t.co/wJPBCwKGSW pic.twitter.com/TiuBBcwuqL
— Newsweek (@Newsweek) July 24, 2024
The Port Authority announced later that morning that operations in the terminal resumed as normal.
The cause of the fire was under investigation. JFK Airport said flight operations in the terminal were impacted and recommended passengers check with their airline before heading to the airport.
Airlines including American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific and Qantas fly out of Terminal 8. A spokesperson for American Airlines told NBC4 that three of their flights were canceled as a result of the terminal evacuation.