New York’s Statue of Liberty was reopened this afternoon after being evacuated for an hour earlier in the day when an elevator sensor indicated a potential smoke emergency.
The elevator, which takes visitors into the pedestal and museum inside the 151-foot monument, was shut down at 1:38pm ET until authorities determined the sensor was tripped in error, parks department spokeswoman Mindi Rambo told NewsCore.
“Our staff went to the location and did not observe any heat,” Rambo said.
No one was inside the elevator at the time and no injures were reported, she said.
After the New York City Fire Department was called in from Manhattan, visitors were allowed to re-enter the statue at approximately 2:40pm ET. The rest of the island, which offers sweeping views of lower Manhattan, remained open throughout the incident.
During the summer season nearly 20,000 visitors go to the State of Liberty every day.