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Balloon Blamed For Wynwood Art Gallery Fire

Fire Causes $100,000 Worth Of Damage

POSTED: Tuesday, December 11, 2007

MIAMI -- An advertising balloon tied to a Wynwood art gallery is being blamed for causing a morning blaze that destroyed about $100,000 worth of artwork.

The fire broke out just before 3 a.m. Monday at the Harold Golen Gallery at 2921 NW Sixth Ave.

Fire investigators said a large advertising balloon secured to the gallery for Art Basel might have cause an electrical fire.

The balloon was tied to the weather head outside the building, where the power comes into the gallery. Investigators said friction caused by the balloon bobbing around in the sky likely sparked the blaze.

"We have been concerned about the balloon because it has come close to the houses," said Beatrice Pantoja, who lives nearby.

Gallery owner Harold Golen told Local 10 he received a call from the alarm company early Monday morning alerting him to the fire.

Golen did not want to go on camera, but he told Local 10's Kellie Butler he has about 100 paintings inside the gallery from Art Basel week. He called the paintings pop surrealism art created by Ron English and Skotolen.

No one was hurt.

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