A fire erupted on the Atlantic City boardwalk in New Jersey on Wednesday afternoon.
The fire spread along the Resorts Casino Hotel’s exterior and part of the sign above the Boardwalk’s entrance just before 4:00 p.m., according to NBC Philadelphia, citing officials. The smoke infiltrated the building and forced neighboring businesses to evacuate.
“The Atlantic City Fire Department quickly responded and immediately extinguished the fire,” Resorts Casino Hotel said on Twitter. No injuries were reported.
The casino floor remained open, according to the outlet.
A fire erupted late this afternoon on the area of the Boardwalk in front of Resorts. The Atlantic City Fire Department quickly responded and immediately extinguished the fire. No injuries were reported and Resorts Casino Hotel is open for business. pic.twitter.com/pfKUrP4hLz
— Resorts Casino Hotel (@ResortsCasino) November 15, 2023
Officials say the fire began underneath the boardwalk and spread to the building, according to 6ABC Philadelphia.
Videos of the fire quickly spread on social media. One TikTok user posted a video from inside a sushi bar on the boardwalk, showing the fire blocking the doors of the restaurant.
Another video posted by the same user shows the outside of the hotel, with thick smoke and flames filling the air. Numerous people can be seen standing outside the hotel recording the incident.
@wickedstickerz.com PART 2 Huge fire while eating lunch in #atlanticcitynj. #fyp #wicked_stickerz #makethisviral ♬ original sound – WickedStickerz.com
The cause of the fire has yet to be determined, according to Fire Chief Scott Evans, per 6ABC. Investigators are looking into multiple possibilities, including an electrical malfunction. (RELATED: Massive Blaze Cuts Off Major LA Highway).
Another possibility officials are investigating is homeless people under the Boardwalk accidentally starting the fire. That was the suspected cause of a similar fire in February at the Ocean Casino Resort, the outlet reported, citing authorities.
Firefighters were able to put out the fire around 4:30 p.m., per the outlet.
A third video of the aftermath of the fire shows the side of the building and the floor of the boardwalk burnt and gated off.