HOUSTON --
Part of a downtown high-rise office building was closed Wednesday after a four-alarm fire, KPRC Local 2 reported.
Houston firefighters responded to the blaze at 2 Houston Center on Fannin Street near McKinney Street at about 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Crews found heavy smoke and fire on the 16th floor. The floor sustained extensive fire, smoke and water damage.
The building does not have windows that can be opened.
"Anything that's enclosed is kind of like being in an oven because there's no place for the heat to go," District Chief Tommy Dowdy said. "Normally heat goes up, you get in the fire and ventilate through the roof in a house, let some heat out. In here, they probably encountered very hot conditions when they got on the 16th floor."
Officials said there was at least one sprinkler on the 16th floor.
Floors 14 and 15 sustained water damage and the 17th floor was damaged by smoke.
Crews had to use the building's air conditioning system to clear the smoke.
The unaffected floors were cleared to open for business.
There was nobody on the 16th floor at the time of the fire, officials said.
A cleaning crew was in the building and evacuated by using the stairs.
"It's real scary," Maria Garcia said. "Real tiring because it's a 44-floor building. We got to get from 40 down the stairs and it's tiring."
No injuries were reported.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
