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MOSCOW (AP) — A small fire has broken out at the Luzhniki Stadium, the venue for the 2018 World Cup final.
The blaze sent a plume of thick black smoke over part of central Moscow on Monday but left no obvious damage to the arena and was quickly extinguished. There were no reports of injuries.
Moscow officials told local media that the fire started when a spark from construction work landed on building materials piled outside the stadium.
Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko, who oversees World Cup preparations, told the Tass news agency that "the fire did not cause damage to the stadium."
Luzhniki is being redeveloped for the 2018 World Cup, when it will seat 81,000 spectators.
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