Fire disrupts Batman movie filming in Chicago

CHICAGO (Reuters) - A fire in a vacant downtown Chicago building being used in filming the latest "Batman" sequel briefly disrupted movie-making on Tuesday but was soon extinguished, authorities said.

The blaze appeared to have started in a ventilation system near the top of the 14-story building that once housed the city's central post office as film crews were working at street level on a scene involving a yellow school bus crashing through a wall, a fire department spokesman said.

No injuries were reported, and fire-fighters left the scene after about two hours.

The exterior of the building, with a sign calling it the "Gotham National Bank," has been used for the past few days by the crew filming the Warner Bros. movie "The Dark Knight," a sequel to the 2005 film "Batman Begins."

In the new film, again directed by Christopher Nolan, actor Christian Bale reprises his role as the caped crusader, and Heath Ledger co-stars as his arch nemesis the Joker. "The Dark Knight" is due for release next summer.