ORLANDO, Fla. – A large fire broke Wednesday night out at an abandoned downtown Orlando building as 63,000 fans watched a sold-out soccer match at nearby Camping World Stadium, according to police.
The fire started around 10 p.m. near 1300 W. Pine St.
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Orlando firefighters and police officers had to deal with the blaze, crowd control and traffic leaving the stadium.
Fire officials said it wasn’t the first time the building, apparently a former auto repair shop where squatters now often stay, has caught fire.
“We’ve had two previous fires here,” Orlando Fire Chief Charlie Salazar said. “So we went on the defensive. We did have one roof collapse, so they put a two-alarm fire on it. They’ve done a really good job around the outside of it.”
One firefighter suffered a minor injury and was treated at the scene, officials said.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Camping World Stadium announced that traffic was diverted due to the fire, asking customers to be patient while leaving the stadium. Police said traffic along South Orange Blossom Trail was backed up for a few hours.
Juventus defeated Real Madrid 3-1 in the soccer match.
Expect traffic impacts in the area of 1300 West Pine Street. @OrlandoFireDept is responding to a structure fire. OPD units are assisting. pic.twitter.com/qMzswa5NGN
— Orlando Police (@OrlandoPolice) August 3, 2023
TRAFFIC ALERT 🚨 Traffic is being diverted due to a non-event related fire. Please be patient leaving the stadium. We appreciate your understanding, and look forward to welcoming you back to the stadium soon! https://t.co/HPyNF3nYt4
— Camping World Stadium (@CWStadium) August 3, 2023
No additional information is available at this time.
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