A fire at Fisherman's Cove, a longtime seafood wholesale company in the New Orleans area, forced the evacuation of employees and patrons in the building and shut down part of Williams Boulevard on Saturday afternoon.
A witness at the scene said the fire also spread to Harbor Seafood, the business' adjoining restaurant.
Kenner police said officers were at the scene near the Esplanade Mall in the 3200 block of Williams Boulevard assisting firefighters working to put out the blaze. Everyone was safely removed from the building and no injuries were reported, police said.
The fire was reported contained as of 2:45 p.m.
All streets are open to drivers except for westbound 32nd Street. Williams Boulevard was initially locked down after first responders arrived at the scene and police shut down access to the road at several points.
An employee of a neighboring SpeeDee Oil Change shop said the fire had the biggest flames he has ever seen. The blaze engulfed the restaurant around noon, he said.
“My manager started screaming,” he said.
The exterior structure, made of tin, appeared to have minimal damage. The inside of the restaurant, however, is in ruins, a source at the scene said.
Employees of the restaurant and law enforcement at the scene would not comment on the incident. The restaurant's Facebook stated the business would be closed until further notice.
More to come.
Staff reporter Katelyn Umholtz contributed to this report.
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