Fire erupts under swanky French restaurant, sending massive plumes of smoke across NYC's Midtown
A fire broke out in the basement under a swanky French restaurant Tuesday – sending massive plumes of thick smoke billowing across the heart of Manhattan.
The blaze was sparked in the mechanical room below La Grande Boucherie on 53rd Street between Sixth and Seventh avenues around 4:50 p.m., according to an FDNY spokesperson.
Video obtained by The Post shows streams of smoke coming from the front part of the building at 1325 6th Avenue that forced some nearby workers outside to mask up.
'It was a heavy, plastic smell,' said Colin Sweeney, who works at a hotel across the street.
'I said to my colleague, 'You don't want to smell that' so we went inside immediately,' he added. 'It set off our fire alarm. It was a heavy dense smoke.'
The fire took about a little more than an hour to get under control after more than 100 fire firefighters and EMS personnel rushed to the building.
There were no injuries from the blaze, though it's unclear what damage was sustained throughout the building, which is mostly made up of office space.
The smoke spread around the corner toward the Hilton Hotel, making it appear that the high-rise hotel was possibly affected.
The public pathway next to the La Grande Boucherie was blocked off in the aftermath of the inferno.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Wire
2 hours ago
- Business Wire
CARMAT Announces the First Commercial Implants of Its Aeson® Artificial Heart Outside the European Union
PARIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Regulatory News: CARMAT (FR0010907956, ALCAR), designer and developer of the world's most advanced total artificial heart, aiming to provide a therapeutic alternative for people suffering from advanced biventricular heart failure (the ' Company ' or ' CARMAT '), today announces the first implants of its Aeson® artificial heart in a commercial set-up, outside the European Union (EU). Two implants of Aeson® artificial heart were performed during the week commencing May 26, 2025 in Israel. The first one was carried out at Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital in Jerusalem by a team led by Pr Offer Amir, Pr Rabea Asleh and Dr Amit Korach, respectively director of the Heart Institute, director of heart failure unit and director of the cardiac surgery department at Hadassah Medical Center. The second one was carried out at Sheba Medical Center in Ramat Gan (Tel Aviv), by a team led by Dr Jeff Morgan, Dr Leonid Sternik, Dr Alex Fardman and Dr Eyal Nachum, respectively head of mechanical support unit, director of cardiac surgery department, heart failure cardiologist and cardiac transplant surgeon. Those are the first Aeson® implants made in a commercial set-up outside the European Union. These implants bring to 5 the total number of countries 1 where commercial implants have been performed so far. They confirm the trust placed in the device by healthcare professionals, and the growing interest in the therapy. About CARMAT CARMAT is a French MedTech that designs, manufactures and markets the Aeson ® artificial heart. The Company's ambition is to make Aeson ® the first alternative to a heart transplant, and thus provide a therapeutic solution to people suffering from end-stage biventricular heart failure, who are facing a well-known shortfall in available human grafts. The world's first physiological artificial heart that is highly hemocompatible, pulsatile and self-regulated, Aeson ® could save, every year, the lives of thousands of patients waiting for a heart transplant. The device offers patients quality of life and mobility thanks to its ergonomic and portable external power supply system that is continuously connected to the implanted prosthesis. Aeson ® is commercially available as a bridge to transplant in the European Union and other countries that recognize CE marking. Aeson ® is also currently being assessed within the framework of an Early Feasibility Study (EFS) in the United States. Founded in 2008, CARMAT is based in the Paris region, with its head offices located in Vélizy-Villacoublay and its production site in Bois-d'Arcy. The Company can rely on the talent and expertise of a multidisciplinary team of circa 200 highly specialized people. CARMAT is listed on the Euronext Growth market in Paris (Ticker: ALCAR / ISIN code: FR0010907956). For more information, please go to and follow us on LinkedIn. Disclaimer This press release and the information it contains do not constitute an offer to sell or subscribe, nor a solicitation of an offer to buy or subscribe, for CARMAT shares in any country. This press release may contain forward-looking statements regarding the Company's objectives and outlook. These forward-looking statements are based on the current estimates and anticipations of the Company's management and are subject to risk factors and uncertainties, including those described in its Universal Registration Document filed with the French Financial Markets Authority (Autorité des marchés financiers) (the 'AMF') under number D.25-0345 (the ' 2024 Universal Registration Document '), available free of charge on the websites of CARMAT ( and the AMF ( Readers' attention is particularly drawn to the fact that the Company's current cash runway is limited to mid-June 2025 (excluding the flexible equity financing line entered into with IRIS, which was announced on March 27, 2025). The Company is also subject to other risks and uncertainties, such as its ability to implement its strategy, the pace of development of its production and sales, the pace and results of ongoing or planned clinical trials, technological evolution and competitive environment, regulatory changes, industrial risks, and all risks associated with the Company's growth management. The Company's forward-looking statements mentioned in this press release may not be achieved due to these elements or other risk factors and uncertainties, whether unknown or not considered material and specific by the Company as of today. Aeson® is an active implantable medical device commercially available in the European Union and other countries recognising the CE mark. The Aeson® total artificial heart is intended to replace the ventricles of the native heart and is indicated as a bridge to transplant in patients with end-stage biventricular heart failure (Intermacs classes 1-4) who cannot benefit from maximal medical therapy or a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) and who are likely to benefit from a heart transplant within 180 days of implantation. The decision to implant and the surgical procedure must be carried out by healthcare professionals trained by the manufacturer. The documentation (clinician's manual, patient's manual and alarm booklet) must be read carefully to learn about the characteristics of Aeson® and the information required for patient selection and proper use (contraindications, precautions, side effects) of Aeson®. In the United States, Aeson® is currently only available as part of a feasibility clinical trial approved by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA).
New York Post
2 hours ago
- New York Post
Nassau DA warns of Albany push to approve early parole for violent convicts
The Democratic-run New York state legislature could rush through a series of bills to give convicts early parole and prevent law enforcement from keeping dangerous criminals off the streets, Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly warned Sunday. In recent years, Democrats clawed back controversial cashless bail and discovery laws after serial criminals were let loose, triggering massive political blowback. 'These bills undercut everything we work for every day — building strong cases, securing convictions, and ensuring justice is served,' Donnelly, a Republican up for re-election this fall, told The Post. Advertisement 3 Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly. Brigitte Stelzer 'When prosecutors do the hard work of putting violent offenders behind bars, we should be backed by laws that protect that progress — not laws that allow those same criminals to return to our communities years before their sentences are complete,' added Donnelly, who is holding a press conference Monday announcing her opposition to the bills. Among the bills drawing concern is the Elder Parole bill — which would require inmates aged 55 and older who have served at least 15 years of their sentence to be considered for early release, regardless of the seriousness of the crime committed. Advertisement The measure is sponsored by Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal (D-Manhattan) and Assemblywoman Maritza Davila (D-Brooklyn). Another bill, the Earned Time Act, would make most violent felons eligible for time allowance credits, potentially slashing their prison sentences in half, Donnelly said. The earned time bill is sponsored by Sen. Jeremy Cooney (D-Rochester) and Assemblywoman Anna Kelles (D-Ithaca). 3 Madeline Brame's son, Hason Correa, was murdered in a scuffle outside a Harlem apartment building seven years ago. Steven Hirsch Advertisement A third bill — the Second Look Act — would permit prisoners to petition the courts for a sentence reduction after serving 10 years, including inmates convicted of violent crimes. The legislation is promoted by Sen. Julia Salazar (D-Brooklyn) and Assemblywoman Latrice Walker (D-Brooklyn). GOP Long Island lawmakers oppose the early parole bills, including Assemblyman Edward Ra and Sen. Jack Martins. 3 The New York State Capitol building. Hans Pennink for the NY Post Advertisement Crime victims' advocate Madeline Brame, whose Army Sergeant son Hason Correa was murdered in a scuffle outside a Harlem apartment building seven years ago, expressed outrage at the proposals to give violent cons a break. 'These proposals completely disregard the pain and effort that go into holding criminals accountable,' she said. 'We need to help prosecutors put violent offenders behind bars — not give criminals new ways to get out early.' Gov. Kathy Hochul toyed with early release proposals in April as a way to try to alleviate the prison population amid an illegal prison guard strike and a staffing shortage. She was forced to bring in the National Guard to staff the prisons. She proposed opening eligibility for merit time in the state budget, then backed down after it was revealed doing so could lead to people who were in for violent crimes to be released early. Donnelly was among those who raised the alarm. Inmate advocates have pushed for early parole and other reforms after prisoners were allegedly killed at the hands of guards over the past year.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Stricken NYC firefighter promoted in ‘very emotional' ceremony: ‘Meant so much to him'
It was an honor he'd been patiently waiting for. The FDNY — in an emotional ceremony Thursday — promoted firefighter Mark Dziemian, who has been hospitalized since suffering cardiac arrest while responding to a two-alarm fire in Brooklyn on March 16. Dziemian's wife, Jackee, and their two children accepted the promotion to lieutenant on his behalf in a ceremony at the College of Staten Island. She said it was a moment her husband had been counting down to. 'Mark has been looking forward to this for so long,' Jackee said. 'He took the test in 2022, and becoming a lieutenant meant so much to him. 'It was really touching to look around the room to see FDNY firefighters and their families feeling what we're going through,' she said. FDNY Commissioner Robert Tucker told The Post he was 'very emotional' during the event, adding that Dziemian was due for the title change. 'This was a civil service promotion, and there was no question in my mind that we wanted to promote him when we reached his number, and the mayor was incredibly supportive of that as well,' Tucker said. Dziemian's wife and children, Sophia, 4 years old, and Michael, 8 months, received a long standing ovation as they walked across the stage to accept his new rank. 'I'd be surprised if there were a dry eye in that room that was filled with a lot of tough people,' Tucker said. 'It was exactly how I wanted his wife and family to see how we feel about her, her family, and Mark.' During his career, Dziemian has served the FDNY in various capacities, including representing the department in the ceremonial unit at funerals, flag raisings, and other formal events. Tucker said Dziemian's friends and coworkers have been a constant source of support for his family since his medical emergency. 'Anytime a firefighter or EMT or a paramedic or frankly anybody in the FDNY gets injured in the line of duty, it is a profound event,' Tucker said. 'It is something that we all respond to.' Dziemian, who works out of Engine 217 in Bushwick, grew up in Maspeth, Queens, attended St. Adalbert Elementary School in Elmhurst, Queens, played multiple sports at Xavier High School and studied theater and visual arts at Fordham University. He followed in the footsteps of his cousin, Walter, and became an EMT. A chance meeting with former Assistant Commissioner of Communications Stephen Gregory inspired him to join the FDNY. 'Mark is an exemplary firefighter that I considered like a fourth son,' said Gregory, whose family has four generations on the job. 'I had my dad's lieutenant's badge put aside for Mark so that he will receive badge #1207.' A proud Polish American, Dziemian is the president of the FDNY's Pulaski Association, a charitable organization of firefighters with Polish and other Slavic roots. On March 1, two weeks before Dziemian's injury, he was proud to report that the Pulaski Association's annual dinner dance raised $1,500 for the Children's Smile Foundation, which helps kids in need, as well as $5,000 for the NYC Firefighters Burn Center Foundation, which sends childhood burn victims to summer camp. Dziemian – a Middle Village resident who turned 41 years old in the hospital on March 29 – encouraged his lifelong friend, Mariusz Jastrzebski, who owns Syrena Bakery in Greenpoint, to sponsor the Pulaski Association. 'Being Polish American with parents who came from Poland, he wanted to use his heritage and being a firefighter for good in the community,' Jastrzebski said. 'Now, I'm in awe of how the FDNY and the community have stepped up for his family.' Dziemian was taken to Wycoff Heights Medical Center in Bushwick immediately after the cardiac incident but was transferred to Lenox Hill that same night. After relocating again to North Shore University Hospital on Long Island, Dziemian is 'fighting to recover' at the Rusk Rehabilitation Center in Manhattan, where his wife is driven daily by FDNY members. As Dziemian battled his injuries, his mother, Agnes, succumbed to cancer March 27. His father, Eugene, passed away in March 1998. Jackee Dziemian says it's hard to describe the outpouring of support from the FDNY Family Assistance Unit, the Uniformed Firefighters Association, and the medical teams caring for her husband. On Saturday, friends, family and fellow firefighters watched as the FDNY Marine Unit paid tribute to Dziemian with a water demonstration of boats along the East River. More than 615 tickets have been sold for a 'tailgate benefit' scheduled for before the Mets game June 11 at Citi Field. A GoFundMe page started to help ease the financial strain on Dziemian's family raised nearly $50,000 in two days. 'This is who Mark is,' Jackee Dziemian said. 'If this happened to anybody else, he'd be out theresupporting them.'
