Fire damages lobby in office tower downtown

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

A fire that broke out in the Huntington Bank building on Central Square damaged the building’s lobby.

The blaze also caused extensive smoke damage to the upper floors, said

Fire Chief John O’Neill of the Youngstown Fire Department.

The department was called shortly after 8 p.m. Witnesses said the fire was big.

“We could see the flames through the window, coming up through the floor,” said Robin Ollie, who lives in an apartment in a building across the street from the bank.

“It was a pretty significant fire on the first floor main area of the bank,” O’Neill said.

Two people inside at the time had to be treated for smoke inhalation, he said. A security guard was overcome, and a cleaning woman had to be helped down from the 11th floor. She was taken from the building on a gurney after walking down 10 flights in smoke, a firefighter said.

O’Neill did not know the cause of the fire Wednesday night.