Dozens evacuated from West LA apartments during auto shop fire

WEST LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Dozens of people were evacuated from their apartments along Sepulveda Boulevard in West Los Angeles early Friday after an auto shop fire next door.

Investigators believe the fire broke out at about 2:15 a.m. in one of the cars at the auto shop in the 2100 Block of Sepulveda Boulevard.

The flames got dangerously close to the apartment building, but fire crews were able to keep the fire from spreading.

About 115 firefighters worked to knock down the blaze in 39 minutes, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.

Four or five cars were damaged or destroyed inside the auto shop, LAFD Bat. Chief Mark Curry said.

Two firefighters suffered minor injuries in the incident. No civilian injuries were reported but several evacuated the apartment building during the firefight.

"This is a good, aggressive firefight by my firefighters. They really poured into it, and to get a knockdown of this thing in 45 minutes was -- from when we got on scene and what we saw, what we had on our hands -- to have it go out in 45 minutes was just a real testimony to the hard work," said Curry.

The cause of the blaze was under investigation.