NEW ORLEANS (AP) - A fire broke out Monday amid the wreckage of the Hard Rock Hotel construction project that partially collapsed last year in New Orleans and was put out by mid-afternoon. No injuries were reported.
The fire began when a pile of roofing material ignited during demolition work at the site, city officials said. The fire started shortly before 9 a.m., sending thick black smoke over the city’s central business district and the nearby French Quarter.
As firefighters poured water on the blaze, officials said, it was not considered a threat to nearby structures, although people living and working near the site were advised to to shut off air conditioners and external air intakes.
Flames were out by mid-afternoon, according to The Times-Picayune’The New Orleans Advocate.
The hotel was under construction last October when it collapsed, killing three workers. Demolition work began in May after months of disagreements between the city and developers over how best to bring down the remains of the unstable 18-story structure. Two bodies remained in the wreckage until they were safely removed in August.
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