New Orleans firefighters battled a 2-alarm fire late Friday night that caused the roof of the old Grand Theater to collapse.
Firefighters got a call about 9 p.m. about the fire in the old Lake Forest Plaza at Read Boulevard and the I-10 Service Road in New Orleans East
Units were on the scene within 5 minutes to battle the blaze at the building which had been abandoned after Hurricane Katrina.
Once inside the building, NOFD Chief Tim McConnell said crews located the source of the flames in one of the theater rooms.
More than 50 NOFD members were eventually able to contain the fire, but not before part of the building's roof collapsed.
There were no injuries and no reports of anyone in the building at the time of the fire, according to McConnell.
"Unfortunately, this is a building that is another example of the property not being taken care of," he said. "It got into a very dilapidated condition, and is scheduled to be torn down."
The chief said there was no power going to the building, eliminating the possibility of an electrical accident. He also said neighbors in the area had reported people going in and out of the shuttered theater.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.