WASHINGTON — A fire broke out Monday in a Smithsonian museum in the US capital, but was swiftly extinguished with no injuries or damage to the collections reported, the city's fire department said.
Firefighters were called to the National Museum of Natural History, one of the Smithsonian Institution's most popular museums located on Washington's National Mall, to put out a fire that started in air conditioning equipment and spread to some insulation, city deputy fire chief Kenneth Crosswhite said.
"The fire is under control. You could even say it's out... and damage is minimal," he told AFP.
The museum was closed at the time and no injuries were reported, he said.
A plume of black smoke was seen rising into the Washington sky, and rush-hour traffic was disrupted for several blocks around the building.
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