A restaurant that was under construction caught fire and damaged two neighboring apartment buildings in Center City Philadelphia early Tuesday morning.
The fire started about 4:30 a.m. inside a restaurant located at 13th and Chancellor Streets that was under construction.
The fire then spread to The Gramercy and The Chancellor apartment buildings, causing minor damage. Residents of The Gramercy and The Chancellor were evacuated as a precaution.
"It sounded like popping," said Melissa Mooney, a witness. "It almost sounded like little -- I don't want to say explosions -- but explosions. Kind of."
The fire reached three alarms before it was placed under control about 6:15 a.m. Approximately 100 firefighters were involved in the operation.
There were no reports of any injuries.
The fire happened a short distance from Woody's Bar, a popular gay bar located in Philadelphia's "Gayborhood."
As a result of the fire, there are several road closures in the area. They include:
13th Street between Locust and Walnut Street
Locust Street EB between Broad Street and 15th Street
Chancellor Street between Broad Street and 13th Street
Juniper Street between Walnut Street and Locust Street
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SEPTA bus route 12, is being detoured due to the fire. More details available at www.septa.org.
The cause of the fire was not immediately known. L&I officials told NBC10 the property had six current work permits. An electrical permit expired on Sept. 6.
