The fire broke out in the 13200 block of W. Van Nuys Boulevard just after 9 p.m., and quickly spread to "at least two commercial units," officials said.
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Flames could be seen shooting through the roof.
"Firefighters are in the offensive mode but given the current conditions they are moving out of the structure to deploy a transitional attack," said LAFD. "They will hit the fire from the exterior to improve conditions for a renewed interior fire attack."
It took about 42 minutes to douse the flames. Firefighters worked on adjacent roofs, and cut a ventilation strip to help prevent the spread of fire, according to LAFD.
There were initial reports of a person possibly inside one of the units that was on fire, but that person was later located outside and unharmed, officials said.
Firefighters say it appears someone was living inside the vacant business where the fire may have started.
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No injuries were reported.
LAFD arson detectives remained on scene, per protocol, to help determine the cause of the fire.