5-alarm blaze engulfs St. Louis building

Author: From Karen Olson CNN
Published On: Dec 08 2011 02:05:15 PM EST   Updated On: Dec 08 2011 05:56:07 PM EST
(CNN) -

Firefighters battled a five-alarm blaze that engulfed a six-story building in downtown St. Louis on Thursday.

Capt. Dan Sutter of the St. Louis Fire Department said emergency personnel searched the structure after getting reports that there may be people inside. No one was found, Sutter said.

Aerial images broadcast on CNN affiliate KTVI-KPLR showed dark plumes of smoke pouring out of the structure as firefighters pumped water toward the building in an effort to bring the blaze under control.

"There are no windows on the north side of the building, making it very hard to extinguish," said St. Louis Post-Dispatch reporter Christine Byers from the scene of the blaze.

She said at least five fire trucks had circled the building and were using water cannons.

St. Louis mayoral spokeswoman Kara Bowlin noted the facility is believed to be a warehouse.

The fire, which began around 12 noon local time, also prompted the evacuation of a nearby building as it consumed the top two floors of the original structure, officials said.

No injuries have been reported.

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