Anyone know what buildings were destroyed?? Sad. There is a great banner hanging from one building thanking the Fire Dept for saving their building http://www.wafb.com/story/31066873/nofd-battling-six-alarm-fire-in-downtown-new-orleans#.VqjToBEWuVA.facebook
The fire was on Canal, not in the French Quarter. The other side of Canal is considered the CBD, Central Business District. It was near the Roosevelt hotel. I know a beauty supply store was one of the buildings and a cell phone repair shop. The buildings are in danger of falling now and the city is investigating some Mardi Gras parade routes that go down Canal due to safety issues.
The news article I linked said the fire was in the quarter, not the business district. Now the article title says “the edge of the quarter” as, if memory serves me correctly, Canal is the border, where all the streets change names… Regardless, its tragic, and right before Mardi Gras. Sympathies to the city, and hope some of the damaged buildings can be saved if they are structurally sound.