THE FIRE THAT FILLED DOWNTOWN ALBUQUERQUE WITH SMOKE WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING IS OUT … BUT THE FLAMENCO DANCE STUDIO WHERE IT STARTED JUST BEFORE 4:30 PM IS DESTROYED. OFFICIALS ARE STILL INVESTIGATING WHAT SPARKED THE FIRE THAT SHOT 40 FOOT FLAMES INTO THE AIR AND SENT LOTS OF DARK SMOKE THROUGHOUT THE DOWNTOWN AREA. FORTUNATELY, NO ONE INJURED.
ALBUQUERQUE FIRE CREWS TRIED TO FIGHT THE FLAMES FROM INSIDE THE BUILDING, BUT WERE PULLED OUT AND FOUGHT THE FIRE DEFENSIVELY FROM OUTSIDE … THEN THE ROOF CAVED IN. THEY MANAGED TO STOP THE FIRE FROM SPREADING TO THE FIVE BUSINESSES NEARBY. SOME FIREFIGHTERS STAYED ON SCENE OVERNIGHT TO WATCH FOR POSSIBLE HOT SPOTS.
THE NATIONAL FLAMENCO DANCE INSTITUTE IS ASKING THE COMMUNITY FOR HELP TO REBUILD AND RE-ESTABLISH ITSELF.
