Fire breaks out at The Book of Mormon’s Broadway home – with venue to close indefinitely

A three-alarm fire broke out at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre on West 49th Street, home to the Broadway hit The Book of Mormon, on Monday 4 May.

During a press conference, FDNY chief David Simms stated that the fire began in the electrical room between the building’s fourth and fifth floors.

After that fire was contained, there were flames discovered between the fifth floor and the roof. One firefighter among the more than 130 personnel on the scene was injured responding to the situation.

The fire and response were limited to backstage areas, and no damage was sustained to the auditorium. It was declared under control around lunchtime.

The production team for The Book of Mormon, in consultation with theater owner ATG Entertainment, will take time to assess the extent of the damage, and any news of disruption to performances will be announced as soon as possible.

The FDNY said that the venue will be forced to close for an indefinite period of time, pending repairs to the substantial damage on the fourth floor.

The Book of Mormon just celebrated its 15th anniversary.