Statue of Liberty reopens after fire forced 3,400 people to evacuate Liberty Island

Statue of Liberty reopens after fire forced 3,400 people to evacuate Liberty Island

Liberty Island and the Statue of Liberty were evacuated Monday after an apparent construction mishap sparked a fire in propane tanks there, according to the National Parks Service.

Three propane tanks were on fire, officials said, and the blaze has since been extinguished.

The fire prompted the National Parks Service to evacuate all 3,400 people from Liberty Island.

Boats moved people from Liberty Island to the nearby Ellis Island, Roger Sakowich, the FDNY’s Manhattan borough commander, told reporters. Each boat holds between 500 and 1,200 people, he said.

The Statue of Liberty reopened mid-afternoon and operations to and from Liberty Island resumed.

One worker suffered a non-life-threatening injury from the incident, officials said.

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