An attic fire at a vacant and boarded-up strip mall in the Mid-Wilshire area was knocked down Wednesday with no reported injuries.
Firefighters were sent to the 5500 block of West San Vicente Boulevard around 1:25 p.m. Wednesday regarding an attic fire in the one-story mall with light visible smoke, according to spokeswoman Lyndsey Lantz of the Los Angeles Fire Department.
“Crews initiated forcible entry and roof operations, but the fire load and extended operation time ultimately forced personnel to adopt a defensive posture — all companies retreated, and heavy streams of water were employed to continue extinguishing the flames and protect all exposures,” Lantz said.
It took 78 firefighters to extinguish the flames, with the fire knocked down shortly before 3:15 p.m.
During the firefighting efforts, at least one facade collapsed due to a heavy water stream.
It was unclear what sparked the fire.
According to Lantz, LAFD heavy equipment personnel and various fire companies were expected to remain on the scene as a safety precaution for the planned demolition of the vacant building.