Fire in downtown LA prompts smoke odor advisory for large swath of the city

DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- An early morning fire in downtown Los Angeles left a lingering stench of smoke in the air, prompting an advisory for a large swath of the city.

The fire was reported at 2:57 a.m. at 1655 E. 14th St. Heavy damage was confined to a one-story, metal-clad commercial structure and an adjacent six-bay automotive storage or repair facility, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. Two adjacent commercial structures were successfully protected.

It took 83 minutes to knock down the fire, with 150 firefighters battling the flames.

Even after the fire was extinguished, a strong odor was noticeable across the area, including the San Fernando Valley, and was expected to continue into the afternoon. The LAFD issued the smoke odor advisory, saying weather conditions were to blame for the smell, and adding there was no need to report it unless active fire or flames were seen.

No injuries were reported, and the cause of the fire was under investigation.

City News Service contributed to this report.