A vehicle exploded near the iconic Charging Bull statue in Lower Manhattan on Tuesday evening, sending thick black smoke into the air.
Emergency crews responded to reports of a car fire near Broadway and Stone Street around 5:42 p.m. according to the FDNY. Firefighters extinguished the flames shortly before 7 p.m.
Videos from the scene show the vehicle, which appeared to be MTA-affiliated, parked on the side of the road before quickly being consumed by fire as onlookers awaited emergency services.
The explosion is currently under investigation, with authorities still determining whether it was an accident or a criminal act.
Fire deaths in New York City have skyrocketed over the past year. Data shows that fire deaths are up more than 60% compared to this time last year, with forty-six people dying in fires so far this year according to FDNY First Deputy Commissioner Daniel Flynn.
The numbers are about on par with 2022 and 2023, when e-bike battery fires ripped through buildings across the city. At this time in 2022, there were 47 fire deaths, and in 2023, there were 48.
Fire deaths started to decrease in 2024, with 32 at this time that year. They dropped even lower in 2025.
“This time last year, we were at 28,” Flynn said.
Now, the numbers are climbing again, and Flynn states that nearly a quarter of this year’s deaths were from fires set intentionally.