A fire in downtown Des Moines early this (Saturday) morning has resulted in injuries to at least three firefighters. The injuries were not believed to be life-threatening. The Des Moines Register, citing social media posts by The Des Moines Association of Professional Firefighters, said crews spent more than four hours dealing with the fire and widespread smoke, which appeared in be at the Equitable Building, at 604 Locust St.

At least five fire trucks were on the scene before 1 a.m., and additional units and firefighters worked in the area later. Just before 3:30 a.m., fire officials requested assistance from the West Des Moines Fire Department. Firefighters told supervisors and dispatchers they were having difficulty reaching and extinguishing a part of the blaze in a mechanical area between floors.

Dispatchers also noted reports of smoke at the Hub or the Hub Tower, which are connected to the Equitable Building by skywalk. Hub Tower is across the street from the former Younkers building, which was devastated by a massive fire in March.