Jack Ahearn
August 5, 2026
A fire broke out at the Astor Place subway station in the wee hours of August 4, injuring six firefighters and eight transit workers.
One transit worker was reportedly treated at the scene for smoke inhalation, while the remaining seven were taken to the hospital and later released. At least five firefighters were hospitalized, according to the FDNY. MTA injuries were reportedly split between work train personnel and station personnel.
The cause of the blaze, which started on a four-car vacuum work train at around 2:15 a.m., remains under investigation. The fire reportedly broke out in a vacuum train’s filter compartments; such trains are regularly used by the MTA to hoover up track debris and other potentially flammable material.
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