Heat overcomes 2 Chicago firefighters during high-rise fire

CHICAGO (AP) - Two Chicago firefighters were treated for heat exhaustion early Thursday after helping battle a fire in a high-rise commercial building that houses several jewelry stores in the city's Loop, officials said.

Chicago fire Commissioner Richard C. Ford said about 200 firefighters were called to the 22-story building known as the Mallers Building after the fire was reported about 4 a.m.

Two firefighters who were overcome by heat were being treated at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, but no other injuries were reported and the fire was extinguished in about 90 minutes, he said.

Fire Department spokesman Chief Frank Velez said the first crews to arrive at the building, which is also known as the Jeweler's Center, saw smoke coming out of an elevator shaft, indicating there was a fire on one of the upper floors.

'œThere was heavy smoke inside, pushing down into the elevator shaft,'ť Velez said.

Firefighters determined the fire was on the building's 10th floor and found no one inside during search and rescue operations on the high-rise's 10th, 11th and 12th floors. The flames were doused by 5:30 a.m., preventing the fire from spreading to other floors.

Velez said fire investigators were working to determine the cause of the fire.