A fire that engulfed the attic and roof of a sprawling Beverly Crest mansion Tuesday, forcing crews into a defensive battle and sending one firefighter to the hospital was knocked down after burning for just over four hours.
The fire erupted around 1:45 p.m. at the home, estimated at about 24,000 square feet, in the 300 block of Delfern Drive, about one-third of a mile east of Beverly Glen Boulevard, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.
Nearly 150 firefighters were dispatched to the estate, with some initially positioned on the roof, tearing open holes to vent the structure and provide access to the flames spreading in the attic. Thick smoke poured from the roof.
The flames continued to build more than two hours after the blaze was reported, and fire crews were forced into a defensive mode, pulling off the roof and doing their best to pour water on the structure from the exterior. Crews were also pulled out of the interior of the home, according to the LAFD.
One firefighter was taken to a hospital in fair-to-serious condition “with a medical issue,” according to the department.
An additional firefighter was treated at the scene due to signs of heat exhaustion.
A knockdown of all active flames was declared after four hours and five minutes .
There was no immediate word on the cause of the fire.
Companies continued to cool hotspots after the knockdown was declared, particularly in the composition roof tiles, Lyndsey Lantz of the LAFD said.
Extended overhaul operations are expected to last several hours, Lantz said.