The roof of the Superdome catches fire; 1 injured

NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) – An intense fire sent flames and thick black smoke billowing from the roof of the Caesars Superdome at around 12:30 p.m. Tuesday.

While the cause of the fire was not immediately known, several workers could be seen atop the stadium’s iconic white roof. Roof cleaning and renovations after its recent rebranding have reportedly recently resumed after being disrupted by Hurricane Ida.

At least one person was transported with minor burns.

Fox 8 Saints analyst Jeff Duncan said the the fire seemed to have started in the “gutter tub” on the roof, where workers were using a high pressure pressure washer, according to a text message from Doug Thornton. Thornton is the vice president of stadiums for ASM Global, the parent company that manages the facility.

Flames and dark black smoke could be observed along the edge of the roof for nearly 15 minutes. Smoke was visible across New Orleans and turned to a lighter shade of gray around 12:50 p.m., indicating the blaze was under control and extinguished.

The Saints’ home stadium is slated to be the site of the team’s Oct. 3 game against the New York Giants.

The fire was reportedly brought under control around 1:20 p.m.

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