Three-Alarm Fire Damages Eugene O'Neill Theatre

A three-alarm fire broke out Monday morning in the electrical room of the Eugene O'Neill Theatre in Midtown Manhattan, causing substantial damage to the Broadway venue that has hosted the long-running musical The Book of Mormon for 15 years and forcing its temporary closure.

The New York Fire Department received a call at 10:03 a.m. about the blaze at the theater located at 230 West 49th Street. Firefighters, numbering 192 along with emergency medical workers from 63 units, responded to the incident. The fire originated between the fourth and fifth floors in a room containing lighting equipment and hanging chandeliers. Crews first subdued that fire before addressing a second outbreak involving electrical equipment between the fifth floor and the roof. The flames were declared under control at 12:17 p.m., though no smoke or flames were visible from the street afterward.

New York Fire Department Assistant Chief David Simms described the fire as deep-seated and difficult to access. "It was very difficult to get to. There was a lot of catwalks and rigging in the theater," he said at the scene. He noted substantial damage on the fourth floor, along with some water damage from...