MIDTOWN, Manhattan (WABC) — Thick plumes of black smoke billowed into the sky from the roof of a building in Midtown Manhattan on Tuesday morning.

It happened at 6 East 43rd Street between Fifth and Madison avenues, about a block from Grand Central. Strong winds could carry the smoke across several city blocks.

The fire is a half of block off Fifth Avenue, near the start of the St Patrick’s Day Parade, but the parade will not be impacted.

Firefighters battled the blaze on the roof HVAC system.

The building is an office-to-residential conversion being renovated into 441 rental units, with 111 of them affordable housing.