Trump Tower: fire at president’s New York HQ

More than 125 firefighters raced to Trump Tower in New York City’s Midtown Manhattan today, where smoke could be seen billowing from the rooftop of Donald Trump’s lavish home.

One firefighter and a civilian were injured, Associated Press reports. The president was in Washington DC at the time.

Eric Trump, the president’s son, said there was a small electrical fire in a cooling tower on the rooftop and that the fire department arrived at the scene within minutes.

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Firefighters appeared to have the blaze under control within an hour, NBC News says.

Completed in 1983, the 58-storey tower contains offices, restaurants, a hotel and Trump’s private residence.

First Lady Melania Trump and son Barron lived in the residence for the first few months of Trump’s presidency, before moving to the White House.

Trump commissioned architect Der Scutt to create an imposing, dominating structure that the Trump Tower website describes as “a world-famous testament of Mr Trump’s grand vision”.

The formidably minimalist exterior contrasts with eye-wateringly lavish interiors. A 1984 New York Magazine article described how the peach-tone marble amplifies the “gurgling of a dramatic 80ft waterfall as well as the voices of those who’ve come to gawk at the opulent decor and the six floors of expensive shops”.