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Posted on 12/06/2004 5:15:28 PM PST by GRRRRR
A high rise in the Chicago Loop at 135 S. LaSalle has at least one floor on fire. Live shots show a raging fire through the windows.
This is the LaSalle Bank Building. Began just after 1830h.
G
CLTV reporting that a woman reported walking by out of the ground floor coffee shop just before the fire.
This woman reported hearing a 'big explosion' and then the fire started.
Several calls to 911 were immediately placed after hearing the explosion.
Thank you!
You don't suppose some disgruntled employee Tannebombed Tannebaum, do you?
(I bring this up because I wrote a joke song about a terrorist blowing up a Tannenbomb on a thread re Christmas Carols for the mentally deranged last night at midnight. I'm on the left coast, it wasn't me! But sometimes I get these intuitive hits on disasters about to occur--especially in Chicago, my old hometown.)
Has anyone heard whether Mr Tannenbaum got out of the building? Or was in it when the fire started?
He was in an off-site meeting all day, so he shouldn't have been in the building.
BTW: He's also the chief economist within the bank, and largely responsible for LaSalle's success.
Live Stream: http://wbbm.dayport.com/viewer/content/special.php?Art_ID=5056&Format_ID=2&BitRate_ID=8&Contract_ID=67&Obj_ID=4
Another fire has broken out on another floor on the NW corner of the building.
Wow, that's weird, huh?
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Once the live fuel burns out there will be nothing left to burn. Typically not a big deal.
Flames now seen coming out of window on southeast corner of the building.
New breakout.
Watching that now ... not saying what floor.
I saw earlier on this thread that CLTV had interviewed a woman who claimed to have heard an explosion as the fire broke out. Haven't seen a follow-up though.
I used to work in that building, it's very old (built in 1935) and I imagine that with all the construction that's happened inside the building over the years, there's plenty of places for the fire to travel between floors and walls.
The "saving grace" for alot of people who were stuck above the 29th floor is that every window in that building opens up - all the way up to the 43rd floor. When I worked on 30, we routinely had the windows open in the spring and fall to get air on the floor. The air circulation in that building is horrible.
News now reporting two firefighters in critical condition, two in serious condition.
This is a 511 fire, which as 33% of the entire fire department in the city of Chicago on-site.
OMG! The space that's on fire (SE Corner of the 30th floor) is the space I used to work in.
Two fires now---southeast corner & northwest corner. Awesome pictures.
I'll keep those firefighters in my prayers. I haven't heard of any casualties (I don't have time to read through all of the posts) I hope I'm right.
New fire in SOUTHWEST CORNER of building as seen on WBBM
And now, a political moment from some alderman. < /sigh>
New fire in center on 30 . . .
according to CBS2
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