Smoke Odor Evacuates Downtown Building

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - People inside a downtown high-rise rushed outside after reports of smelling smoke.

It happened Friday afternoon at the First Niagara Building on Stanwix Street.

Witnesses say they smelled something electrical burning and used elevators and stairs to hurry outside. People from the fifth to the 18th floors told KDKA they smelled the odor.

"I was on the 18th floor, and we started smelling a sort of electrical fire smell and we were told by our HR manager to evacuate," Crystalann Jones said.

Chief Frank Large, with the Pittsburgh Fire Department, said the origin of the smoke smell was a "an air handling unit."

Ultimately, he explained there was no fire, just an odor. People were allowed back into the building following the air unit being turned off.

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