In fact, it has been a quieter night than usual, which is being attributed to the record cold temperatures, keeping many people indoors. It is currently 10 degrees below zero, however there is no wind and no snow. The Media Center in the EOC building is opened and staffed, and a half a dozen reporters are on hand, drinking coffee by the potful and waiting for a possible Y2K story. They will not be disappointed. He then runs to the corner of Bigelow Blvd.
Flames are visible from the first and fourth stories.
Residents exiting the building tell the police officer that they could smell a strong odor of natural gas. He also observes that a utility pole with a transformer has been damaged and sparks are flying. He reports these observations to the Communications Center. Other police officers arrive from areas within a mile of Golden Age Towers. When the fire department arrives, the Incident Commander, an assistant fire chief, learns that occupants are trapped by heavy smoke on the seventh floor and that several residents are trapped in an elevator.