Firefighters from three agencies Wednesday extinguished a three-alarm commercial fire that damaged three businesses in Huntington Park.
The three separate businesses were located inside the structure in the 2500 block of East 57th Street, Los Angeles County Fire Department Inspector Randall Wright said.
Plastics, electrical items and wood burned in two of the businesses, but firefighters prevented the flames from spreading to the third business, although it sustained some smoke and water damage, Wright said. One of the fire- damaged businesses was a discount merchandise company, he said.
The fire was reported around 3:25 a.m., Capt. Tim Bloom said. County firefighters found flames burning through the roof when they arrived at the site, obliging them to assume a defensive position and battle the blaze from the exterior, he said.
After about three hours, firefighters gained the upper hand on the flames, and determined that they had successfully prevented the fire from spreading to the third business.
The fire was declared out at 6:48 a.m., although some flare-ups could be seen. Firefighters remained on scene afterward, pouring foam on the smoldering embers in an effort to prevent further flare-ups. Traffic was routed away from the area. No injuries were reported.
Two nearby schools were closed for the day: Aspire Pacific Academy and Aspire Ollin University Preparatory Academy, Wright said.
More than 100 firefighters from the L.A. County, Huntington Park and Vernon fire departments were sent to the scene. The cause of the fire was under investigation. A damage estimate was not immediately available.
CNS-10-28-2015 09:52
—City News Service