Firefighter Injured In Downtown Inferno

LOS ANGELES, CA—A firefighter was injured, and several buildings were damaged and destroyed in a raging commercial blaze in Downtown Los Angeles that took hours to extinguish Friday morning.

The blaze destroyed two buildings and damaged five others in the 600 block of South Kohler Street, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.

The fire broke out around 2 a.m. in an outside storage area that spread to nearby buildings before crews could tame it.

"After a grueling firefight through the early morning hours, firefighters have now suppressed all active flame related to this blaze," said LAFD spokesman Nicholas Prange. "An outside storage area caught fire and spread to several nearby buildings. Two buildings were completely destroyed, and a total of five buildings were impacted by the fire. Firefighters used ladder pipes, large-diameter hand lines, and portable monitors to keep persistent water flow on the fire. Ultimately, it took over 170 firefighters 5 hours and 15 minutes to extinguish the flames."

The injured firefighter was hospitalized with a knee injury and is in fair condition, said Prange.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

"Crews will remain on scene for an extended period of time to uncover hot spots and continue to cool the smoldering material beneath the debris," Prange added.