An explosion rocked Manhattan’s Upper East Side on Friday morning, triggering a response from roughly 170 firefighters. “A call about the blaze on East 95th Street, between Second and First avenues, came in shortly after 10 a.m.,” NBC New York stated. “FDNY members are currently operating at a 3-alarm fire at 305 East 95th Street in Manhattan,” FDNY wrote. FDNY members are currently operating at a 3-alarm fire at 305 East 95th Street in Manhattan. pic.twitter.com/H05Ehdd7Ah — FDNY (@FDNY) August 15, 2025 More from NBC New York: Video posted to the Citizen app showed orange flames leaping from the roof as thick black smoke spewed over the skyline. No injuries were immediately reported. The cause of the fire is under investigation. The city’s Office of Emergency Management advised people to avoid the area. Sensitive residents may also want to close their windows. The Red Cross is also at the scene. “A prewar apartment building on Manhattan’s Upper East Side erupted into flames Friday morning after a gas buildup in the basement triggered a powerful explosion that shook the block,” Mario Nawfal wrote. “The blast at 305 E 95th Street sent thick black smoke billowing into the sky as 100+ firefighters swarmed the scene,” he added. MASSIVE EXPLOSION ROCKS MANHATTAN: PLUMES OF SMOKE OVER NYC A prewar apartment building on Manhattan’s Upper East Side erupted into flames Friday morning after a gas buildup in the basement triggered a powerful explosion that shook the block. The blast at 305 E 95th Street… pic.twitter.com/TsALH2oggu — Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) August 15, 2025 Full text: A prewar apartment building on Manhattan’s Upper East Side erupted into flames Friday morning after a gas buildup in the basement triggered a powerful explosion that shook the block. The blast at 305 E 95th Street sent thick black smoke billowing into the sky as 100+ firefighters swarmed the scene. Witnesses reported a “loud boom” followed by fire tearing through the rooftop and top-floor apartments. The building’s superintendent, who was in the basement during the blast, is being treated for minor injuries. 2 firefighters were also hurt while battling the 3-alarm inferno, which tore through the 59-unit red brick building. FDNY crews, ladder trucks, and EMS units rushed in, climbing through scorching hallways to contain the blaze. Helicopter footage shows firefighters dousing flames on the roof deck as charred furniture fueled the smoke. The cause? Officials say gas buildup is the prime suspect, but the full investigation is underway. New York rocked by 'explosion' as black smoke chokes Manhattan neighborhood https://t.co/5pmTYCzxdH pic.twitter.com/4syyY8kXyA — Daily Mail US (@Daily_MailUS) August 15, 2025 Daily Mail noted: Firefighter David Martinez, 38, who was inside the apartment, said he was battling fires inside for ‘quite some time.’ ‘We were going room to room, I was at the end of the hose trying to keep it down… it was so hot.’ ‘Luckily, they weren’t home,’ he added. Martinez, a former Marine, said crews were unsure of the exact cause of the fires, but said they ‘have it under control.’ Furniture is believed to be the source of the smoke on the rooftop, according to Citizen. The fire has been rated a three-alarm, meaning it is a large-scale blaze that requires a significant amount of personnel and resources to extinguish.