There was cause for alarm for travelers at John F. Kennedy Airport in Queens on Thursday when smoke continuously filled a terminal.
Fire officials say the smoke was caused by a grease fire inside of a Panda Express restaurant in the food court of Terminal 4 at the airport. Officials say that the fire started at around 3:30 p.m. EDT inside of a vent at the restaurant near Gate B23, and crews responded to calm the blaze to get it under control. Firefighters ventilated the terminal after the large amounts of smoke filled the area.
Parts of the terminal were evacuated, including the retail level, ABC 7 News reported. But for the most part, business remained as usual throughout most of the airport.
FDNYAlerts: FDNYalerts QNS ALL HANDS JFK, (JFK AIRPORT) GREASE FIRE AT PANDA EXPRESS, UNDER CONTROL
The airport issued a tweet shortly after the situation started and said that the security checkpoint and departure level of the terminal will be closed for an unknown amount of time as crews tend to the fire.
#JFK Terminal 4 had a restaurant fire. The security checkpoint and departure level is closed. [72]
There have been no reports of any injuries as a result of the fire.
Here are some photos and videos from the scene:
The Smoke Filled Much of the Food Court Area
Panda Express with a little mishap. #jfkairport #smokingpanda
Flights Continued to Board Despite Smoke Filling the Terminal
Some Travelers Stopped to Document Where the Fire Occurred
People Were Evacuated From the Terminal
Firefighters Were Seen Tending to the Blaze on the Roof
JFK’s Terminal 4 Fills With Smoke From Panda Express Kitchen Fire
t.co/CVpn3tf5t0
Security Lines Were Backed up, Causing Delays for Travelers on a Busy July 4 Weekend
