Crews are mopping up after a major fire at the former Hooters restaurant on Coliseum Boulevard.
The fire broke out shortly after 6:30pm at the closed restaurant.
Traffic was blocked for a time on Coliseum between Parnell and Clinton Street so firefighters could stretch their lines across the highway.
Fire officials say they have the fire contained, but they could be there into the night.
Fort Wayne fire crews arrived several minutes after the call came in.
When they got there, flames were shooting out of the building.
Police and fire crews closed the 4200 block of North Clinton next to the Chipotle restaurant.
Coliseum was only closed briefly, but traffic continued as smoke and embers blew across the street.
Officials say it could take all night to fully extinguish the flames.
There are no injuries from the fire, and when fire crews arrived, nobody was at the restaurant.
Assistant Fire Chief Chris Mounsey says the flames were so intense, they've been unable to get inside.
"The call came in at 6:36 this evening. The first units on the scene at 6:39, they had flames through the roof when they arrived. We attempted to make an interior attack, but the fire had already grown to a level that we were unable to continue that, and we switched to an exterior attack," Mounsey says.
Mounsey says they do not know the cause of the fire yet.
This Hooters suddenly closed back in May 2012, with employees finding out from a note on the door when they showed up for work.
Earlier today at about eleven this morning, witnesses say they saw trucks in the parking lot, and people taking chairs and stools from the restaurant and putting them in the trucks.
The fire broke out shortly after 6:30pm at the closed restaurant.
Traffic was blocked for a time on Coliseum between Parnell and Clinton Street so firefighters could stretch their lines across the highway.
Fire officials say they have the fire contained, but they could be there into the night.
Fort Wayne fire crews arrived several minutes after the call came in.
When they got there, flames were shooting out of the building.
Police and fire crews closed the 4200 block of North Clinton next to the Chipotle restaurant.
Coliseum was only closed briefly, but traffic continued as smoke and embers blew across the street.
Officials say it could take all night to fully extinguish the flames.
There are no injuries from the fire, and when fire crews arrived, nobody was at the restaurant.
Assistant Fire Chief Chris Mounsey says the flames were so intense, they've been unable to get inside.
"The call came in at 6:36 this evening. The first units on the scene at 6:39, they had flames through the roof when they arrived. We attempted to make an interior attack, but the fire had already grown to a level that we were unable to continue that, and we switched to an exterior attack," Mounsey says.
Mounsey says they do not know the cause of the fire yet.
This Hooters suddenly closed back in May 2012, with employees finding out from a note on the door when they showed up for work.
Earlier today at about eleven this morning, witnesses say they saw trucks in the parking lot, and people taking chairs and stools from the restaurant and putting them in the trucks.
