40 Sickened by Smoky Fire in Downtown Building
Forty people were sickened today by a smoky fire in the lower floors of nine-story building on Wilshire Boulevard in downtown Los Angeles.
About 190 office workers were forced to flee the building at 611 Wilshire Blvd. after the fire broke out at about 10 a.m., according to Fire Capt. Bob Weigert. He said the fire started either in the basement or on the first floor of the glass-and-concrete structure.
Twenty-five fire companies, six ambulances and three helicopters responded to the alarm. It was at first thought that some people might have to be rescued from the roof by the helicopters, but all managed to make their way to safety down stairwells.
Cause of the blaze was not immediately known, but Sweigert noted that the basement, first and second floors were undergoing renovation.
Most of those who evacuated the building were Pacific Bell Co. employees. Several of the 40 who suffered from smoke inhalation were hospitalized for observation.
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