Police beat

LITTLE ROCK — Electrical blaze

clears LR building

An electrical fire forced the evacuation of downtown Little Rock's Tower Building on Wednesday, the Little Rock Fire Department said.

The building at 323 Center St. houses several government offices, including those of Attorney General Dustin McDaniel.

Several fire companies were dispatched to the building, but no injuries were reported.

Shortly before 4 p.m. Wednesday, a cable in an electrical case in the center of the building melted and began sparking, said Little Rock Fire Department spokesman Capt. Randy Hickmon.

Ken Richardson said he was ata meeting of the New Futures for Youth, a nonprofit organization with offices on the 12th floor of the building, when he heard a couple of "pops."

"After the first 'pop', we smelled smoke, and then we heard a second one," Richardson said. "Then we heard a series of rumbles."

Richardson said he and other employees ran the length of the 12th floor, knocking on other doors and beginning the evacuation of the building.

Hickmon said the passageway where the fire occurred runs up the center of the building, and contains power lines and other building infrastructure.

"We cut the power to the entire building," he said.

There was no information late Wednesday as to when the building would reopen.