Nation IN BRIEF : NEW YORK : Building Fire Snarls Traffic, Subways

Fire engulfed a Manhattan office building, halting rush-hour traffic, slowing subways and sending up a tall plume of smoke visible 25 miles away. The six-story building, south of Times Square in the city’s garment district, was believed to have been empty when the fire was reported around 3:30 a.m. EST. It took more than 300 firefighters 10 hours to bring it under control. The fire started in a Chinese restaurant on the ground floor of the structure called the Metropolitan Career Building, officials said. Police closed off several streets near the fire, tying up traffic throughout the West Side through the morning rush. Subway trains running under the building were slowed to avoid shaking the ground, which could topple the burning structure, officials said.