Fire guts downtown building

Bloomington firefighters were called to a two-story stone building in Bloomington's downtown at about 7:30 p.m. Tuesday to extinguish a fire that consumed most of that building and endangered nearby businesses.\nThe abandoned building, on 100 block of South College Avenue, is less than a block from Kirkwood Avenue near Fountain Square Mall.\nOfficials announced that the fire was contained at 10:45 p.m., a little more than three hours after fire trucks arrived on the scene. Officer Randy Gelhausen said police and firefighters had "no idea" how the fire began in the empty building, which used to house the Lung Cheung restaurant.\nBloomington Fire Chief Dick Sexton estimated that four fire trucks were necessary to contain the fire. He said Bloomington Fire Department trucks were joined by a truck from Bloomington Township's fire department. Perry Township and Ellettsville fire units stood by to help.\nDamage to adjacent buildings was minimal, with "a little bit of water damage in the Nunn (and Greene law) office," Sexton said.\nHe said there were no injuries. \n"As far as I know, (the building) was vacant," Sexton said.\nEmployees from Nunn and Greene, 123 S. College Ave., were huddled across the street watching firefighters battle the flames.\nKen Nunn, who owns the building, also watched their efforts. His main concern, though, was his law office next door.\n"I'm not feeling good at all," he said with a laugh as his staff crowded around to give him the latest update from the firemen.\n"We're just worried about them saving this building," he said, motioning to the brick office with large picture windows filled with Christmas decorations. The electric figurines were still moving, eerily waving to the crowd of onlookers who braved the 35-degree weather to watch.\n"That darn thing is still flaring up," Nunn said more than an hour after the fire department notified him that the building was on fire.\nThe fire department was working to save the other buildings on the block, including Nunn's law office, which was filled with smoke. Firefighters investigated, but could not find any sign of fire inside the building. As a precaution, officials ordered the gas lines turned off in the immediate area.\n"We shut it off in all the buildings. If it hits the line, it's the last thing we need," Gelhausen said as workers from Indiana Gas worked behind him to ensure that all gas lines were closed.\nEd Vande Sande, director of Disaster and Volunteer Services for the Monroe County Red Cross, arrived at the scene with volunteers, but they found that there were no victims to care for -- only cold and tired firefighters.\n"Our primary duty as the Red Cross is always to take care of victims of disaster, but we do provide support. What we are doing right now is providing water, Gatorade, coffee and food (for the firefighters)," he said.