Flames roared through the upper floor of a two-story apartment building in Sherman Oaks Thursday, leading to a protracted battle by firefighters.
The fire was reported at 8:54 a.m. in a garden-style apartment building at 14248 W. Dickens St., according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.
Crews evacuated residents and cut holes in the roof to ventilate the structure as flames shot through the openings.
About 80 firefighters joined the battle and put the stubborn blaze out in two hours and 34 minutes, according to the LAFD.
No injuries were reported.
Crews saved two dogs from the affected second-floor apartment, where they contained the fire.
“Adjacent units have sustained smoke and water damage,” said the LAFD’s Jennifer Middleton.
The Red Cross was assisting displaced residents.
Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety personnel were checking for structural damage and compromise and LAFD Arson was investigating the cause of the fire, Middleton said.