A two-alarm fire broke out at Macy's iconic flagship store at Herald Square last night, forcing customers and employees to evacuate.
No injuries were reported in the fire, which officials believe started in the store's basement at around 8:15 p.m., with smoke rising up in the vents. Witnesses say they saw heavy smoke coming from the 7th Avenue side of the building, and over 100 firefighters were on the scene; the 34th Street flagship takes up over 1 million square feet and comprises an entire city block. "Everyone was carrying on as normal and then smoke started rising up. Twenty or 30 trucks showed up," one shopper told CBS News.
The building was evacuated and it took less than an hour for the fire to subside. Customers were permitted to retrieve their belongings, but the store was closed for the rest of the night; firefighters say no serious damage was done.
