Fire Consumes Commercial Building In Downtown Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES — Fire erupted in a three-story commercial building in downtown Los Angeles today, with flames shooting through the roof of the building forcing fire crews into a defensive posture as they attempted to douse the inferno.

The fire broke out just after 1 p.m. in the third floor of the building in the 300 block of East Fourth Street, between San Pedro and Wall streets, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.

Crews were forced into a defensive mode, with all firefighters pulled out of the building as the flames spread throughout the structure, with smoke ultimately pouring from lower-level windows in addition to the roof. Fire crews instead poured water onto the blaze from the exterior, using ladder trucks to soak the flames.

Fire officials said there was "dense storage" inside the building, helping to fuel the flames.

There were no immediate reports of any injuries.

— By City News Service