A fire hit the African lion exhibit under construction at the Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo on Friday afternoon, sending a plume of black smoke high into the sky.

Traffic was tied up on the North end of Town as roads were closed around the zoo.

The blaze began when foam blocks at the construction site caught fire, the smoke does not pose an immediate health hazard.

The lion exhibit, scheduled to open in 2009, is to be the centerpiece of the zoo’s African Journey, with 15,500 square feet of natural grasses, trees and rocks.

The lions are to live among waterfalls, ponds and a heated rock situated next to 2 1/2 -inch glass wall.

The African Journey, which was announced in September, is the largest project the zoo has undertaken in its 42-year history, expanding and renovating the African Veldt.

The zoo is at 3411 Sherman Blvd.

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