Vehicle Fire in Lincoln Tunnel Causes Smoke Scare in Manhattan, No Injuries Reported

Yesterday, smoke was observed emerging with urgency from the Lincoln Tunnel's ventilation shafts. According to PIX11, a vehicle fire in the tunnel's center tube was the culprit, with the incident occurring around 1:05 p.m. The FDNY reported no injuries as a result of the blaze.

The inferno prompted officials to shut down the center tube for several hours to facilitate repairs, with it reopening later at 5:30 p.m. to resume normal traffic flow. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey confirmed the closure. A roster of approximately 78 FDNY personnel was on the scene, managing to subdue the fiery vehicle in less than sixty minutes.

A further account from the New York Daily News detailed that the incident was first signaled by the sight of smoke looming over Hell's Kitchen. Firefighters and EMS received a call at about 1:15 p.m., leading them to the tunnel's two brick ventilation shafts at the midtown ferry terminal near W. 39th St., where the source of the dark smoke was a car on fire inside the Lincoln Tunnel, linking Manhattan to New Jersey.

In response to the emergency call, FDNY dispatched 20 different units, amassing a force of 78 firefighters to combat the blaze. These first responders quickly contained the situation by 2 p.m.