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
Floor-to-ceiling flames coming out of the window.
There is a lot of plastic stuff in offices that can do that. Desk tops, in baskets, etc.
What happens when "mayday" called?
Just my two cents - I suppose some evidence of terrorism may turn up, but as it stands now it looks like accidental origin - possibly of electrical origin. The news reported that some people heard a loud bang or explosion just before they smelled smoke. That could have been a transformer or some other sort of electrical equipment, or it could have been a panel shorting out. I would be interested to know if there was an equipment/utility room on 29.
Neither thermite nor gasoline would start as a slow smoldering fire and spread at this relatively slow rate. You almost always find multiple origin points in "incendiary origin" (which is what "arson" is called in the trade), and it usually burns very hot from the beginning. I would have expected a much bigger "flash" to start with if this were incendiary.
Carpet, furniture, paper, plastics, etc. If the floor was used for storage, there could be thousands of boxes full of paper which will burn for hours.
Got it now. Thanks!
Click under the camera on the story.
http://cbs2chicago.com/topstories/local_story_341202525.html
Carpet, underlayment, furniture, other fixtures have a lot of plastic in them. It burns smoky and then very hot.
I'm sure you are right.
At least she's safe, that's a good thing.
Channel 2 reporting now people stuck on the 39th floor. They can't be having fun up there with the smoke going up the stairwells and everything else in that building.
Fire Dept. setting up to stop the fire on the 32nd floor now. 31 has no water pressure, 30 is on fire. At a minimum 31 is going to burn.
32 has our Personnel Department in it, and I know a bunch of those people. I hope they got out.
bttt
Mayday is called when they are really up the creek, I would surmise it is just like officer down, All hands on Deck go up there to kick butt and get the firefighters out as quickly as possible
"A sprinkler system is a separate system from the standpipe system."
OK, thanks for the info...I always thought that the outside connections boosted the sprinkler system, but I have not been a city boy for over 30 years :)
And I hope they get this thing under control soon. The more floors this involves, the greater the chance of collapse.
Bad news: old building, rabbit warren, hard to get equipment through.
Good news: old building, overengineered structure, so better chance the frame will survive even extreme heat.
Keep on posting updates for those of us who are firewall impaired.
Night shift sucks.
Would they request help from the fire departments in the suburbs?
Prayers for the people on 39.
Had a bit of trouble with the feed initially. Working fine now. Thanks for the link.
Has the building been evacuated, or are there people trapped inside?
Praying for anyone still inside and the firefighters.
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