By Susan Snyder
The Philadelphia Inquirer
PHILADELPHIA — Fire broke out on the second floor of the Wachovia Building last night in Center City, causing an undetermined amount of damage to the 1928 historic landmark just south of City Hall on Broad Street.
Only one minor injury was reported in the fire, which started about 7:40 p.m. in the 30-story building at 123 S. Broad St. The street was closed for several hours, and Deputy Fire Chief Joe Picozzi said 150 workers were evacuated.
The first floor, which includes a Wachovia Bank branch, and the second-floor mezzanine level will not reopen today and probably will stay closed through the end of the week as required by the fire marshal, Wachovia spokeswoman Barbara Nate said.
The rest of the building will be open as usual, she said.
The bottom two floors sustained smoke and water damage, Nate said. She said Wachovia was advising customers to use other nearby locations.
Wachovia occupies the majority of the building, but it also houses the Montgomery, McCracken, Walker & Rhoads law firm and other corporate tenants, said Nate.
Cleaning worker Evelyn Frasier was the first to spot the fire. She was making her way toward the second-floor bathrooms when she saw four-foot flames coming from a cubicle and blocking her path.
“It spread fast,” said Frasier, of ABM cleaning service.
Frasier was among a group of 25 ABM workers waiting last night to get back inside the building to reclaim their belongings. They were evacuated to a nearby hotel while firefighters worked.
The blaze brought several fire trucks to the scene and resulted in a minor injury that occurred after the evacuation, Picozzi said.
He said the fire was under control by 8:20 p.m.
Fire officials are investigating the cause and had no estimate of amount of damage.
Frasier said she couldn’t tell what was burning. She was the only one cleaning on the floor at the time. She screamed, “Fire!” to alert others and contacted a security guard. The guard called for help, she said.
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