ST. LOUIS (AP) - Fire officials in St. Louis are trying to determine the cause of a blaze in a vacant six-story building near downtown.
The fire broke out before noon Thursday. There were no reports of injuries, though the St. Louis Post-Dispatch website reported that what was believed to be homeless people were seen fleeing the building. By early afternoon, the fire was under control.
There were reports of an explosion that preceded the fire. Flames shot from the top two floors of the building and the fire was broadcast on national TV news outlets.
Several dozen firefighters responded to the fire in the former Crunden Martin Manufacturing Co. building near the Mississippi River and south of the Gateway Arch.