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Welding Prompts Fire Scare At Daley Center

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Fire crews were summoned to the Daley Center courthouse and office building Wednesday morning, after a judge reported smelling smoke in her courtroom.

It turned out welding inside the building was the source.

Just before 10 a.m. Wednesday, a judge called 911 to report the smell of smoke in her 11th floor courtroom and chambers.

Fire trucks and ambulances quickly surrounded the 30-floor building, which has a street address of 50 W. Washington St. Meanwhile, building maintenance crews quickly shut down the elevators during one of busiest times of day with morning court calls.

Across Dearborn Street at the CBS 2 Broadcast Center, Web Producer Todd Feurer reported seeing six fire trucks and engines, a few Fire Department sport-utility vehicles, and a command truck at the scene.

Lawyers clustered around the lobby, calling judges chambers as firefighters checked several floors including the ninth, where a welder was working.

Emergency crews determined the welding smoke had traveled through several floors, including the 11th, prompting concern of a fire. The elevators were reopened by 10:20 a.m. and no injuries were reported.

The Chicago Sun-Times contributed to this report, via the Sun-Times Media Wire

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