Fire tore through a two-story commercial/residential building in the Westlake area Thursday, quickly gutting much of the interior and sending thick black smoke into the sky.
There were no immediate reports of any injuries in the fire, which broke out around 5:15 p.m. in the 2800 block of Seventh Street, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.
The building — with commercial units on the ground floor and center-hall apartment units above — was believed to have been completely evacuated, fire officials said.
Flames continued to burn nearly an hour after the blaze was first reported, and the building’s interior appeared to be a nearly complete loss.
“This will be an extended duration incident and commuters are advised to avoid the Seventh Street and Hoover Street area,” fire officials said in a statement.