Black smoke was sighted billowing from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) following a fire outbreak in the airside section of the facility.
A social media post captured a plume of black smoke rising from an area adjacent to Terminal 8, with emergency responders visible near the scene of the fire.
A video footage displayed dense black smoke rising from behind a security fence at the airport as a result of a vehicle fire that occurred at approximately 7:25 am local time, equivalent to 12:25 UK time.
An airport spokesperson confirmed that a tow truck owned by American Airlines had caught fire and was promptly extinguished by the Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting team.
No injuries or disruptions were reported during the incident.
The spokesperson stated, “At around 7:25 a.m. this morning, a report was received of an American Airlines tow truck on fire at Terminal 8 (airside) JFK Airport. The fire was swiftly extinguished by the Port Authority’s Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting team with no injuries or impact on airport operations. For further details, please reach out to American Airlines.”
Social media posts timestamped at 7:46 am Eastern Standard Time, corresponding to 12:46 pm GMT, documented the incident. The cause of the fire remains unknown, but online footage suggests a vehicle, possibly an emergency services car, with flashing lights near some gates.
Images from a video shared on the Citizen app depict clouds of black smoke emanating from the reported fire location near Terminal 8.
John F. Kennedy International Airport has been approached for a statement regarding the incident.
A post on the Citizen social news platform indicated that the fire was burning in proximity to Terminal 8.
The video clip, uploaded on the Citizen app, allegedly captures the fire near Terminal 8.