Taxicab Catches Fire Outside NBC Studios

A yellow taxicab caught on fire in the middle of a street in Midtown Manhattan early yesterday afternoon, shooting flames and smoke into the air and causing a stir for onlookers.

The fire department responded to reports of the burning cab, which caught fire in front of the famous neon sign adorning NBC's studios on 50th Street between Fifth and Sixth avenues, at about 12:50 p.m., and had it extinguished about an hour later, fire officials said.

Authorities were notified of the blaze by several 911 emergency calls reporting dangerous levels of smoke and fire, police officials said.

Droves of onlookers stared at the inferno that engulfed the front half of the yellow cab and also stopped traffic on 50th Street.

While the appearance of a burning cab directly in front of NBC's broadcasting studios raised worried eyebrows in Midtown, investigators said they believe it was simply an overheated engine that sparked the fire.

Nobody was injured in the blaze, including the driver of the cab, who escaped the burning vehicle moments after it caught fire, fire officials said.