Lots Of Smoke, But No Injuries In Fire At Penobscot Building In Downtown Detroit

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DETROIT (WWJ) - Firefighters remain on scene in downtown Detroit, after an electrical fire inside the Penobscot Building.

The fire broke out at around 2:30 p.m. At around 3 p.m., Deputy Commissioner Dave Fornell said crews were working to put out the fire, and were looking for any people in the smoke. 

The entire building was evacuated. 

Fire officials tell WWJ Newsradio 950 that the fire was found in a freight elevator shaft on the fourth and fifth floors, and was extinguished.

There was a lot of smoke in the building, but no injuries were reported. 

"Smoke went up to, like, the 29th floor," said Detroit Fire Department Senior Fire Chief Darrell Freeman. "But what happened was the smoke was coming from an elevator shaft. It was just an electrical fire in the elevator shaft." 

"Smoke rises in buildings like this," he said. "It goes straight up and makes it seem like there's smoke on your floor. So, that's why it's good that people take the stairs and get out of the building."

The all-clear was give before 4 p.m. 

WWJ's Jon Hewett reports several people working the building said they did not hear a fire alarm go off. "Something that no doubt will be reexamined as a result of this incident," Hewett said. 

The extent of any damage done is not known as this time.