Construction waste near Moscow's Luzhniki stadium caught fire Monday with billowing black smoke seen from a long way.
The 30-square-meter fire at Moscow’s largest sports complex has already been extinguished, with the Emergencies Ministry stating that construction supplies were the cause. No casualties have been reported.
Staff at the site say construction materials piled up outside the stadium were ignited by a spark from welding works.
Russia's Sports Minister Vitaliy Mutko told Russian media the stadium itself wasn't damaged by the fire.
Luzhniki has been chosen as the 2018 World Cup opener, semi-final and final arena for the tournament to be held in June-July, 2018.
The sports complex is undergoing renovation works.