A downtown commercial building erupted in flames Tuesday, sending thick smoke into the air and initially threatening an adjacent apartment building, while explosions within the structure kept firefighters in a defensive posture.
The fire was reported around 1:50 p.m. in the roughly 75-foot-by-75-foot building in the 600 block of Kohler Street, with more than 100 firefighters responding to the blaze, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.
Shortly after crews arrived on the scene, explosions were heard coming from inside the burning structure, and some downed power lines were also reported, prompting firefighters to pull back from the blaze and move into defensive operations, pouring water onto the flames from the exterior.
According to the LAFD, crews were able to prevent the flames from spreading to any other buildings, but residents of the adjacent three-story apartment building were told to shelter in place as the firefight continues.
No injuries were reported. The cause of the fire was not immediately known.