Firefighters battling fire at commercial building in Downtown LA; thick black smoke billows into air
DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Firefighters on Wednesday were battling a stubborn and aggressive fire at a commercial building in downtown Los Angeles.
The fire at the two-story building on Los Angeles Street, near 12th Street, was reported around 5:50 a.m., according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. Crews were still on scene as of 11 a.m., but there was no estimate on when the blaze would be declared knocked down.
AIR7 HD was over the scene as thick black smoke billowed from the structure, which could be seen from miles away.
More than 100 firefighters responded to the scene as heavy flames burned through the roof. Most of the fire was located on the building's second floor, which made it difficult for crews to access initially.
"As the companies were coming from the backside, they had rolling steel doors so there was a forcible entry issue there. The rolling steel door was actually glowing, it was so hot already when they got there," said LAPD Captain Adam Van Gerpen.
Gerpen said the flames were 30-40 feet in length at the height of the fire.
At one point, the blaze intensified so much that firefighters had to exit the building and attempt to contain the flames from the outside. According to the LAFD, the building then began to show signs of compromise with buckling walls.
Several hours into the firefight, crews brought in dozers to get charred debris out of the way to get full access.
The cause of the fire is unknown, but the building is believed to house some type of textile business. Textile companies tend to have oil-based products, which can prove to be highly flammable.
No injuries were reported.
