A fire broke out on the seventh floor of the luxury Ritz hotel, which is under renovation, forcing several major streets to be shut in central Paris during the morning rush hour.
No injuries have been reported, and the cause of the fire wasn’t immediately known, Captain Yvon Bot of the Paris fire department said.
“The fire started in the attic and so it’s difficult access for our men and it’s likely to burn for several hours,” Bot told reporters on the street a block from the hotel.
“Our main concern at this point is to prevent the fire from spreading.”
The fire began at about 6 a.m. and there are 60 firefighters and 15 vehicles on the scene, Bot said.
A big plume of smoke was rising from the hotel, and firefighters could be seen pouring fire retardant into the building from three cranes.
The fire is in the rear of the hotel, on rue Cambon.
