NEW YORK — An open-air holiday market in New York’s Bryant Park caught fire Friday morning, sending flames and plumes of smoke over the popular tourist area in midtown Manhattan as firefighters scrambled to extinguish the blaze.
No one was injured in the fire, which started a little after 09:00 in a section of the market, according to the spokesperson of the city’s fire department. At least four stores were gutted in the blaze, which also damaged the roof of a nearby ice rink, the spokesman said.
The cause of the fire was not immediately clear. At least some of the affected stores were serving food.
Photos from the scene showed dozens of firefighters surrounding the charred remains of multiple wood-frame posts.
The long-standing open-air market is home to hundreds of food and merchandise vendors. The park between Times Square and Grand Central Terminal attracts throngs of holiday tourists during the holiday season.
The fire comes less than two weeks after a fire destroyed eighteen stalls at another midtown Manhattan holiday market in Herald Square. Authorities said the fire was caused by an electrical problem.
