A basement fire forced the evacuation of Downtown Pittsburgh's Gulf Tower on Wednesday.
Callers reported smoke and fire to 911 about 9:23 a.m., said Pittsburgh Bureau of Fire Chief Darryl Jones, and fire crews were on the scene five minutes later.
The call rose to five alarms because of the sheer size of the building — 44 floors — and crews evacuated those inside floor by floor. The fire, which involved at least one transformer in the basement, produced smoke that rose through the ventilation system and could be seen coming from the roof.
Jones said solid buildings like the Gulf Tower make it "very difficult for a fire to leap floors."
Paramedics transported one man who was having "chest discomfort," Jones said.
Smoke remained the prime issue even after the fire was declared under control shortly after 11:30 a.m., Jones said. The basement — concrete and windowless — made ventilation difficult, he said.
The high heat from the fire combined with the concrete walls meant it was "like being in an oven," Jones said.
He said crews went through a lot of oxygen bottles during the process.
Firefighters could be seen hosing each other down in the streets after they came out of the building. Jones said that was in part to help remove the oils, contaminates and carcinogens that came from the burning transformer.
Once the smoke is sufficiently cleared, fire investigators will get to work determining the cause of the fire, Jones said.
An exact cause of the fire hasn't been determined, he said.
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