SAN ANGELO, Texas — Traffic was blocked by San Angelo Police Department officers on Chadbourne Street, between West Harris and West Beauregard avenues, at approximately noon Tuesday as the San Angelo Fire Department responded to a structure fire call at the Continental Building, 17 S. Chadbourne St.
SAFD Battalion Chief Fred Barnett, C Shift, said fire personnel responded to a reported structure fire at the Continental Building.
"When we arrived on scene, most of the occupants had evacuated the building, and the report from them was that they had an odor and one indicated they possibly saw smoke on the sixth floor," Barnett said.
"So, we sent our attack crew and our search crew up to the sixth floor to investigate. They located a couple of overheated light ballasts. They did not personally see any smoke, they could smell an odor, so they cleared those balances and we've killed the power to those balances."
Barnett said the alarm protection company was in route to the building to help reset the alarm system.
"So, there was no fire. There was just a smell, an odor and a sight of smoke briefly on the sixth floor and so, everything has kind of resolved itself now."
Barnett said the building was secured and everyone was allowed to return.
He said the SAFD had a full complement response to the call - "three engines, a rescue, battalion and a RIT team. Everyone was staged in their right positions and were ready to pump water into the building if necessary, wasn't necessary. PD did a great job of blocking traffic here on a busy time of day."
Chadbourne Street is now open to thru traffic and all SAFD and SAPD personnel have cleared the scene.
