Liberty Island Evacuated Due to Fire The home of the Statue of Liberty was evacuated, as a precaution Monday as three 100-pound propane tanks suddenly caught fire. One worker suffered minor injuries in the blaze. The fire broke near the construction site of a new museum on the island. The flames were out within two hours. Officials said about 3,400 people had been on the island at the time, and "we had no choice" but to evacuate. Liberty Island reopened early Monday afternoon.