Tiffany Flagship Store, NYC mariakray/Shutterstock
A fire erupted at the Tiffany & Co. flagship store in New York City on Thursday, June 29.
The flames were reported a little after 9 a.m. ET with firefighters quickly responding to the 5th Avenue scene, Associated Press reported. Officials with FDNY discovered that the smoke was caused by an underground electrical fire, per CBS News, and authorities were able to put out the blaze by 12 p.m.
The fire did not spread beyond the basement of the store and only two people suffered minor injuries, Deputy Fire Chief Joseph Carlsen told AP.
Many onlookers shared videos of the incident via Twitter, showing fumes coming out of the bottom of the building.
The sudden emergency comes after Tiffany & Co. reopened the location with a celebrity-filled soirée earlier this year. The iconic retailer unveiled a reimagined version of its beloved shop — The Landmark — on April 27. The new chapter kicked off with an A-list red carpet that was graced by Blake Lively, Michael B. Jordan, Katy Perry, Florence Pugh and more.
Blake Lively, Michael B. Jordan, Florence Pugh Shutterstock(3)
The store had been closed since 2019 for the renovation, which cost about $500 million, CNN reported.
Ahead of the grand reopening, the company teased, “The legendary Tiffany & Co. at the corner of 57th street and 5th Avenue is transformed into a new world of wonders. Introducing The Landmark: a celebration of the extraordinary, where incredible feats of craftsmanship come to life and the world’ most beautiful jewelry are revealed.
Tiffany & Co. was founded in the Big Apple in 1837 by Charles Lewis Tiffany and has since opened 300 retail stores worldwide.
In August 2021, the luxury label made headlines for its campaign starring Beyoncé and Jay-Z. In the ad, the “Single Ladies” singer, 41, channeled Audrey Hepburn from the beloved film Breakfast at Tiffany’s.
Beyoncé was covered in dazzling gems throughout the ad, including the Tiffany Diamond, which weighs 128.54 carats and has 82 facets.
The piece, which was originally mined in 1877, has never been featured in an official campaign and has only been worn a total of three other times. The yellow stone was donned by the wife of an American diplomat Mary Whitehouse, Lady Gaga, who rocked the piece at the 2019 Oscars, and, of course, Hepburn. Beyoncé was the first Black woman to wear the stone.
