Westlake carport fire chars 3 vehicles underneath apartment building

WESTLAKE, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A fire raced through a carport in Westlake, damaging three vehicles Sunday morning.

The fire broke out around 7:30 a.m. along the 400 block of South Occidental Boulevard.

The carport is underneath a three-floor, 28-unit apartment building.

Smoke entered one of the apartments, but firefighters prevented the flames from reaching any units, Los Angeles Fire Department officials said.

Firefighters moved swiftly, putting out the blaze in approximately 26 minutes.

The residents were shaken up, but no one was hurt.

Gabriel Blackson said he was able to save his van thanks to a young neighbor.

"There's a little girl who lives under this door. She said fire, fire, fire! Then I said, 'Where's the fire?' And then she said, 'In the garage,'" Blackson said. "I went back to my apartment and get my keys and then I called my son to come outside. So I was able to move my van."

The cause of the fire and the cost of the damage are still being determined.