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Smoke pours out of Tiffany & Co. flagship 5th Ave. New York store two months after reopening

2023-06-30 02:25
Firefighters responded to a transformer fire next to the jewelry store's 5th Avenue location in Manhattan. The fire comes just after Tiffany officially reopened the doors of its flagship shop after closing since 2019 for a costly renovation.
Smoke pours out of Tiffany & Co. flagship 5th Ave. New York store two months after reopening

A fire near Tiffany & Co.'s newly renovated flagship store in New York City sent smoke pouring through the building on Thursday.

Firefighters responded to a transformer fire that began in an electrical vault next to the jewelry store's 5th Avenue location in Manhattan. The New York Fire Department later declared the fire under control.

Two people were taken to the hospital, the FDNY said. Their conditions are currently unknown.

Videos on social media showed dark plumes of smoke coming out of the historic building and spilling into the street. Surrounding buildings, including Tiffany & Co.'s neighbor, Trump Tower, have been inspected for damage, authorities said.

The fire comes just over two months after Tiffany officially reopened the doors of its 10-floor limestone flagship shop. The store had been closed since 2019 for a costly renovation. The price tag for the store's revamp was approximately $500 million, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal.

The high-end jeweler was purchased by Bernard Arnault's LVMH in 2021 for $15.8 million. In April, Arnault, who is LVMH's CEO, told the Journal that he decided to alter Tiffany's initial flagship renovation plans after getting lost in the building while visiting.

Arnault said the store's update was "more in line with the beauty and the myth which is Tiffany."

Tiffany's updated 5th Avenue location contains pricey jewels, and it also displays paintings by renowned artists like Jean-Michel Basquiat and Julian Schnabel. The 5th Avenue flagship accounted for 10% of the brand's global sales before it closed for renovations.

Tiffany & Co. did not immediately respond to CNN's request for comment, nor did it confirm whether any inventory was damaged due to the fire.

Update: This story and headline have been updated to clarify where the fire and smoke occurred.

-- CNN's Zenebou Sylla contributed to this report