Burning Smell Brings Firefighters Out to Bank

Firefighters investigated a strange smell in the Union First Market Bank in Burke Towne Center this afternoon around 2 p.m.

A bank employee at the scene described the scent as a "burning plastic smell."

The chief in charge at the scene, who identified himself as Sam, said that when a strange smell is reported, it's reported by dispatch as a fire. A full contingent reported to the scene, including several engines, a ladder truck, a battallion chief and an EMS unit, but several vehicles cleared out when it was apparent there was no fire.

Firefighters investigated the bank and also checked the roof of the building. Nothing was found that could have caused the smell, and during the investigation, the smell went away. Employees were allowed to reenter the bank around 2:30 p.m. The chief said that before they left, they planned to do some last minute investigating with an electrician.

The chief said that the smells of various restaurants in the area, including the barbecue smoker at BBQ World and the woodfire stove at Villa Bella, complicated the situation.

"We do use our sense of smell quite a bit to differentiate [between types of fires]," he said.

None of the adjoining restaurants and stores were closed or evacuated during the incident, though some cars were blocked into the parking lot for a period of time. An employee at Villa Bella said that the customers in the restaurant were having a good time, "drinking martinis and watching firefighters."