Officials say fire broke out early this morning in a local restaurant.
"At 2:30 a.m., the New Orleans Fire Department (NOFD) was dispatched to a reported fire in a commercial structure in the 1000 block of N. Rampart,"
Captain Edwin Holmes said in a news release.
NOFD arrived to find the American Townhouse restaurant on fire.
"According to restaurant personnel, a smaller fire was detected under the rear exterior stairwell that leads to the restaurant’s dining room around 11:15 p.m. This fire was suppressed by the restaurant’s owner using a hand-held extinguisher. At that time, all patrons were asked to settle their bills and exit the restaurant."
Holmes says the NOFD was not called to that first fire.
The second, larger blaze took 16 fire department units with 43 personnel to extinguish.
"The fire caused considerable damage to the rear of the building and the dining room area of the restaurant. This incident was placed under control at 3:39 a.m. There were no injuries reported and an NOFD Fire Investigator was called to the scene to corroborate the restaurant's personnel account of what may have happened."
