Two window washers rescued near top of 19-story Irvine high-rise

Firefighters went to great heights Wednesday to rescue three people stuck above the ground in two separate incidents.

A pair of window washers were stranded for more than two hours near the top of a high-rise building in Irvine, authorities said.

The Orange County Fire Authority received a call about the workers stuck on a platform outside the 17th floor of 4 Park Plaza around 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, Capt. Steve Concialdi said. No injuries were reported. About 35 firefighters were sent to the scene, including all four of the agencys urban search and rescue companies.

The platform became stuck after a motor malfunctioned, said Mike Lyster, a spokesman for the Irvine Co., which manages the building.

The workers were rescued just before 1 p.m. by firefighters who used a winch to raise the stuck platform, called a swing stage, about 20 feet to the top of the building, Lyster said.

It was a slow process and they did it very gradually, Lyster said.

The 262-foot high commercial office building is part of the Jamboree Center and was constructed in 1991. The workers are from Costa Mesa-based Newport Window Maintenance. An employee who answered the phone there refused to comment.

The windows at 4 Park Plaza are washed three times a year, and it takes about four days to clean all the buildings windows, according to Lyster. The window washers start at the top of the building and work their way down, cleaning two rows of windows at a time. Newport Window Maintenance has worked with the Irvine Co. for more than 20 years.

Representatives from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration were on site during the incident, Lyster added. After the washer became stuck, they called their supervisors. Members of the Irvine Co.s engineering team were the first to respond to the stuck window washers. They then called the fire department.

After the rescue, the window washers and firefighters were treated to pizza and soda in a third floor conference room.

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Two window washers rescued near top of 19-story Irvine high-rise