Data Processor Thought Noises From Above ‘Were Kind of Weird’

At first, Anthony Hall tried to ignore the crackling noises above his sixth-story cubicle in the county office building where he works.

“I thought the noises were kind of weird,” Hall said. “I thought it must be construction workers or something.”

The data processor, who was taking advantage of a quiet, rainy morning to catch up on backlogged assignments, tried to block out the noise and continued working at his computer.

But in minutes, crackles intensified to rumbles.

Hall, 34, of Los Angeles, felt the building vibrate as if it were being shaken by a small earthquake. Startled, he walked to a window, where he watched cornflake-size sparks and chunks of black debris cascading from above.

“I could see some sporadic flames from the window,” Hall said. “All I could think to do was run out into the hallway.”

Hall was one of at least four people working in the building when fire erupted at the 14-story County Department of Health Services administration building Saturday morning. The blaze engulfed the seventh floor, blowing out windows and sending flames skyward, fire officials said.

The people inside the building had signed in with the security guard as they entered, fire officials said. All used stairwells to escape and were accounted for before the fire was knocked down.

Hall said he did not hear any alarms and had no idea which floors above him were burning.

For some reason, he said, his first impulse upon reaching the hallway was to press the elevator’s down button.

“I guess I wanted to see if they were working,” he said. Wisps of black smoke were coming from hallway vents and cracks in the elevator doors.

“Then I thought, no way, there’s no way I’m going to get on the elevator,” he said.

He sprinted down the south stairwell, which was clear of smoke. He emerged in the lobby just as the first fire engines arrived.

“I just ran out, “ he said. “Ran out as fast as I could.”