NEW ORLEANS – Firefighters battled an early morning fire on the edge of the French Quarter.
Several buildings near the intersection of Ursulines Avenue and Rampart Street, next to the studios of WWL-TV, were heavily damaged in the blaze. Fire officials said the blaze started at a building facing Rampart Street and spread to two adjacent buildings.
In the three-alarm blaze, the back part of one building collapsed. The main building that burned was vacant and utilities were not on.
The main building that burned was fully engulfed in flames when crews arrived on the scene, according to the NOFD.
Firefighters attempted to aggressively attack the blaze, but when the section of the building collapsed, firefighters were forced to take a defensive position.
"We made entry but the fire was just too advanced for us. The building was too dangerous and we had to pull out and make a defensive attack," said NOFD Superintendent Charles Parent.
The fire started shortly before 6:30 a.m, and according to the New Orleans Fire Department, the fire was brought under control around 7:10 a.m. Crews are currently working to put out hot spots.
No injuries have been reported, and officials are unsure what caused the fire, but so far believe it may have started in the front building's attic.
"We had a witness that said they saw someone cutting a lock and entering the building last night and in New Orleans there is always a possibility that vagrants may be camping out in the building," said Parent.
According to Code Enforcement, it does not look like the building will have to be torn down, that it should be able to be restored, adding that most of the walls damaged inside were interior walls and fell inward.
Eddie Jacobs, the owner of the building next door, said the building was about 80 percent renovated before the fire.
Rich Stone, a realtor for Latter & Blum said they had an investor who was going to finish renovating the building and it was set to go to sale next week.
