NOFD battling extremely large fire in downtown New Orleans

The New Orleans Fire Department is still on the scene of a 6-alarm fire in the French Quarter.

Dispatched to the corner of Canal St. and Roosevelt Way as a one-alarm at 3:23 a.m. The first NOFD companies arrived on the scene at 3:26 a.m. and found a four-story commercial structure in the river-bound 1000 block of Canal St. fully involved.

Firefighters had the blaze under control as of 11:48 a.m., but continue to search for hot spots and complete the investigation into how this fire started.

The fire chief in New Orleans says arson isn’t suspected in the blaze that blanketed part of the city with smoke and forced the closure of historic Canal Street.

The back portion of one building has collapsed, McConnell said, while the other building has sustained some interior collapse.

Moments later, officials said an employee in another business on the block noticed the fire. McConnell said the building was home to a cell phone company and a beauty supply store on ground level, but unoccupied on higher floors.

There were no reports of injuries, according to Fire Department Superintendent Tim McConnell.

Fire trucks were seen heading to the fire around 4 a.m. Live television pictures from the scene show flames leaping from the roof. However, they said it is now under control.

The first call came in at 3:22 a.m., and fire crews were there three minutes later, McConnell said.

Officials said late Wednesday they had arrested a 25-year-old homeless man named Darren Denley for starting the fire in an alcove in order to keep warm.

Within an hour, the fire reached six alarms bringing more than 90 firefighters with 30 units. The road is blocked both directions.