A large fire broke out Wednesday afternoon on the Atlantic City Boardwalk in front of Resorts Casino Hotel, damaging the marquee and an outside wall on the city’s first gambling parlor.
According to city officials, the Atlantic City Fire Department responded to a two-alarm fire at 3:48 p.m. outside Resorts. Early reports suggest the fire started under the Boardwalk and spread upward to the casino however an official cause remains undetermined.
Fortunately, no other Atlantic City casinos or businesses were affected.
How fire affected businesses along Atlantic City Boardwalk
Several restaurants in the vicinity, including Mukashi Sushi Bar and Landshark Bar & Grill across the Boardwalk, were evacuated while firefighters battled the blaze.
Guests and employees inside Resorts Atlantic City were asked to remain in place while emergency personnel responded to the fire. The gambling floor remained open throughout.
Videos and photos of the incident show bright orange flames shooting up the side of Resorts as huge plums of dark gray and black smoke billowed upward. The smoke could be seen from miles away.
The fire was under control by 4:30 p.m., according to the City of Atlantic City’s official Facebook page. No one was injured.
A small portion of the Boardwalk in front of Resorts was closed off Wednesday night. It remained blocked off as of Thursday morning. The Department of Public Works Beach & Boardwalk Division is assessing the damage and begin necessary repairs soon.
Officials still investigating potential start of fire
Atlantic City Fire Chief Scott Evans said officials were looking at several possibilities as to what could have started the fire.
One of the possibilities is an electrical malfunction of utilities that run under the Boardwalk. The other is an accidental fire started by the homeless seeking shelter under the Boardwalk.
Images of the fire quickly went viral Wednesday evening. The annual New Jersey State League of Municipalities conference is in town, meaning thousands of government employees, hundreds of politicians and myriad media outlets from all over the state caught wind of the fire, and word spread all over the Garden State by supper time.
