BURLINGTON, Vt.
--
It was quite a scene for travelers flying to Burlington International Airport Tuesday night.
A fire broke out in a parking garage stairwell -- the same site where construction was taking place. The airport is expanding the parking garage by two stories.
"Construction activity was completed for the day so there wasn't anybody in the area," said airport director Brian Searles. He said the investigation into the cause of the fire is still under way, but construction is a suspect.
Witnesses described flames and melted metal inside the glass stairwell. The airport's terminal was evacuated for about 30 minutes as a precaution.
Officials said the airport's main curbside pick-up and drop-off area will be closed as crews clean up the damage. That means travelers will have to walk all the way out to Airport Drive to get picked up.
"I saw a whole bunch of fire engines and police cars," said Elizabeth Errico, who was picking up her fiance. She said she had to park her car in an exterior parking lot to get into the airport.
"We don't know how long that condition will last," Searles said. "Hopefully it's not too long but there's still some cleanup work to do."
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