Fire rips through Compton commercial building that houses magnesium products company

COMPTON, Calif. (KABC) -- A fire broke out at a commercial building in Compton Tuesday morning, sending up a large plume of black smoke that could be seen from miles away.

Around 11 a.m., firefighters responded to the building in an industrial area on Alameda Street near El Segundo Boulevard.

AIR7 was over the scene as crews tackled the flames shooting out of the structure.

The building houses a business that deals with magnesium products.

"Dealing with magnesium, you know, it does get hot," said Deputy Chief Reginald Donald with the Compton Fire Department.

A total of 85 firefighters worked to get the fire under control.

"We confined it to one building," Donald said.

According to one of employees of the company, there were 47 workers inside the building at the time of the fire. All have been accounted for. One of those workers, according to a co-worker, was taken to an area hospital to be evaluated.

"It's magnesium, so when you spark magnesium, I guess one of the sanders must have sparked some dust, and it's real fast. One guy couldn't get out, and he got all full of soot and black smoke, he inhaled a lot of it, so they took him in an ambulance," described Victor Degandiaga, a worker in the building.