Tenants Concerned After Chase Building Fire

HOUSTON - Houston Fire Department arson investigators are trying to determine the cause of Monday night's fire at the J.P. Morgan Chase Building.

The 36-story high rise building caught fire on the 27th floor at approximately 8 p.m Monday.

The call went to 4 alarms as the fire department had trouble getting water to the flames. A water pipe inside the building broke, requiring firefighters to pump in the water from the street.

It took 2 1/2 hours to get the fire tapped out. In the process, six firefighters suffered from smoke inhalation and were taken to an area hospital for treatment. The fire department says it was successful in keeping fire damage to the 27th floor, but water and smoke damaged is still being assessed.

"It's very devastating to hear," said David Mandell, who is the executive director of the Houston Volunteer Lawyers Program, an arm of the Houston Bar Association. HVLP was the only tenant on the 27th floor.

"We have 43 very dedicated and passionate employees and they are very effected by this tragedy," said Mandell.

"We're just concerned about the clients we serve and making sure we're trying on get back on line to conduct legal services for the poor."

Mandell said none of his employees were working Monday night at the time of the fire. He has no idea what could have caused it. He said he was told that the area that actually burned was 250 square feet, but that the entire floor was impacted by smoke and water damage.

Despite the building's name, a spokeman for Chase told FOX 26 News that the company does not own the building. Greg Hassell said the Chase office space goes no higher than the 15th floor. Chase banking operations at 712 Main were closed Tuesday, but there were several other tenants that wanted to get back to work as soon as possible.

"We've got important stuff up there," said Bob Avery of SDI Realty. His business is on the 29th floor and he was told to expect smoke and water damage.

"We've got to get our accounting department back up and running. That's what bothers me the most. We've got to get that going."

Avery also said the other big frustration is that the company had just renovated its space.

The building has historical designation in Houston and even nationally. When it was built in 1929, it was noted for its striking Art Deco architecture. It was originally known as the Gulf Building for several years, and was even the tallest building in Houston for 34 years.

The Houston Fire Department says all six of the injured firefighters have been treated and released from the hospital.

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FOX 26 Reporter Isiah Carey contributed to this report