Good thing this happened today and not tomorrow. Starting tomorrow downtown will no longer have a battalion chief with the knowledge and experience necessary to manage a significant high rise fire.

I walk by that hotel every day. I've thought it's needed a renovation for years.

Fires are a waste of taxpayer dollars. I say let's toss tea-party and conservative blowhards on them to extinguish them (the fires and the blowhards, in one swell foop).

saw the reverend horton heat last night. he said that he found out his hotel was fire when he was watching tv.

man, tinnitus must be a bitch.

@2 Do they have high-rises where you volunteer?

Ah, the Crowne....Started out life as the Park Hilton, and had much more glamorous aspirations: Schmatlzy restaurant where you could get things like Caesar Salads made tableside.

I never understood it's fall, because the rooms are nice, but by the time I was working at The Olympic, it was the place all the hospitality folks met for last call (they served up until 1:59am) and to poke fun at Gina Funes (the long, long, longtime singer in the Olympic's various lounges, and husband of bandleader Fred Radke).

My sweet mother, who is sure my living in the city will lead to my doom, called to make sure I wasn't on fire...because, ya know, my apartment is 12 blocks from The Crowne.
She also calls when there is a shooting or car accident anywhere within the city limits. I don't even own a car.