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Firefighters Extinguish Car Fires In Loop Parking Garage

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Chicago Fire Department crews rushed Saturday afternoon to a parking garage in the Loop after receiving reports of cars on fire and smoke blowing out of the building.

Crews battled an extra-alarm fire at a parking garage on West Adams between Wabash and Dearborn.

Firefighters responded to reports of multiple cars on fire at 12:41 p.m. on the seventh floor of a 12-story garage in the 0-100 block of East Adams, according to Fire Media Affairs. The fire was upgraded to a two-alarm at 1:09 p.m.

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Crews battled an extra-alarm fire Saturday afternoon on the seventh floor of a Loop parking garage. (Credit: Fire Media Affairs)

The fires were put out by 1:19 p.m., according to fire officials. No injuries were reported, although six cars were "burned completely" and six others were damaged in the blaze. Five people were removed from the building during an evacuation.

A car owner set CBS 2 cellphone video of his Nissan SUV on fire. Just after 12:30 p.m. Saturday afternoon the car owner said he was driving into the parking garage when he felt his car jerk, so he got out, lifted up the hood of the car and then saw the flames. He immediately ran for help.

When he came back, the man saw the fire had spread to other cars. CBS was told the flames spread quickly.

The owner of the Nissan SUV said it was scary to see the flames.

"I was nervous and scared," said Brian Foster. "It was all happening so fast. I'm okay. I'm safe. I'm here for my son. Thank God I am alive. It could have been a lot worse. Stuff happened so fast."

The Chicago Fire Department is still working to find the cause of the fire underneath the hood.

(CBS Chicago and the Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to this copy. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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