BALTIMORE, Dec. 6 (UPI) -- A five-alarm fire raced through downtown Baltimore's adult entertainment zone Monday, charring four buildings, authorities said.
No one was injured by the 3:30 p.m. blaze in the enclave of strip clubs known as The Block. About 2,000 people were evacuated just ahead of the flames.
"We were trying to get the girls out as soon as possible without getting any indecent exposure charges," Jeff Jones, the owner of Blue Mirrors, told The Baltimore Sun. "By the time I got to the top of the steps, I couldn't see the tip of my nose because of the smoke."
Firefighters said it appeared the fire, which came close to tall city office buildings and the fire department's headquarters, started in a four-story building housing Blue Mirrors and other adult businesses, the Sun reported.
It took more than 150 firefighters to knock down the flames of what fire officials called the largest downtown fire in at least 10 years.
The cause of the fire and the dollar amount of the damage had not been determined, the Sun said.
