Fire Engulfs Downtown Los Angeles Business

LOS ANGELES, CA — Flames engulfed a commercial building housing a textile business in downtown Los Angeles Friday morning, hours after another inferno attacked a South Los Angeles building with textiles inside.

The latest blaze was reported at 3:26 a.m. at 1530 E. 16th St. and had been extinguished as of 5:09 a.m., said the Los Angeles Fire Department's Margaret Stewart.

Firefighters took up defensive positions outside the burning building to protect two attached structures separated by a division wall, Stewart says.

The 115 firefighters put out the flames one hour and 43 minutes after they began, she said. They expected to remain at the building through the morning, making sure all hot spots were out.

"The fire was contained primarily to the unit of origin, with the two adjoining buildings defended from extension to the interior," Stewart said

The blaze started with a large outside fire that spread to two buildings, including the one heavily involved, she said.

One firefighter suffered a non-life-threatening injury on one leg and was taken to a hospital for treatment, Stewart said.

Meanwhile, firefighters were mopping up and investigating a blaze that gutted a South Los Angeles building that houses a textile business and was reported at 7:48 p.m. Thursday at 1820 E. 48th Place, she said. That was the second fire in that building in two days.

City News Service