Fire engulfs section of popular Manhattan holiday market

NEW YORK– An outdoor holiday market in New York’s Bryant Park briefly caught fire Friday morning, sending flames and plumes of smoke flying above the popular tourist attraction in downtown Manhattan as firefighters rushed to extinguish the blaze.

No one was injured in the fire, which started just after 9 a.m. in part of the market, a spokesperson for the city fire brigade said. At least four shops went up in flames during the fire, which also damaged the roof of an adjacent ice rink, the spokesperson 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 torched remains of several wooden stalls.

The long-running outdoor market features hundreds of food and merchandise vendors. It draws hordes of holiday tourists to the park between Times Square and Grand Central Terminal during the holidays.

The fire comes less than two weeks after a blaze destroyed another holiday market in downtown Manhattan at Herald Square, destroying 18 stalls. Authorities say the fire was caused by an electrical problem.