Firemen on the balcony of Oz. Screen capture from video posted by WWLTV in New Orleans.
Oz, the popular gay nightclub on Bourbon Street in New Orleans’ French Quarter, was damaged today in a fire that broke out around noon, according to various new reports. The fire appears to have been started by a malfunctioning sound system.
Video of the fire posted by WWLTV, a CBS News station in New Orleans, showed black smoke pouring from the second floor of the bar, as the rainbow flags lining the balcony rippled in the wind, alarm bells clanged and fire trucks with sirens blaring maneuvered down the narrow street.
The club is open 24 hours a day, but only the manager and the bartender were in the building at the time of the fire, according to a report by The Advocate. No injuries were reported.
Michael Williams, a spokesman for the New Orleans Fire Department said that the manager heard “popping sounds” coming from the second floor. He called the bartender who went to investigate and discovered some of the DJ equipment and wires on fire.
Williams also said that the bar’s sprinkler system activated properly and kept the blaze in check until firefighters could arrive to put it out. Seven NOFD united and 22 firefighters responded to the scene.
