Fire Rages Through Commercial Building In Downtown LA's Fashion District
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — Firefighters battled back flames at a commercial building in downtown LA's Fashion District early Thursday.
Smoke was reported a one-story commercial building at about 4:30 a.m. at the intersection of Pico Boulevard and Wall Street, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. After firefighters got on the scene, the smoke and fire intensified, forcing the firefight outside.
The building is in the heart of the Fashion District. It's not immediately clear what the building holds, but it had at least eight different storefronts one side, including one that said "Good Girl," "Kiki Kids," and "Unik."
Los Angeles Fire Deputy Chief Phillip Fliegiel said out of the city-block-long building, three businesses were impacted by the fire.
Firefighters were able to search the building before being forced out and no one was believed to be inside when the fire started.
More than 100 firefighters battled the blaze, which was declared knocked down at about 6:30 a.m. Firefighters were forced to climb nearby roofs and up aerial ladders to attack the flames with heavy streams of water.
No injuries were reported.
Phu La dropped to the ground after seeing the result of the fire -- the business his family built up over 12 years destroyed.
"That's my livelihood," he said. "That's like a million dollars of merchandise in there."
What was left of his business -- piles of clothes and sopping wet debris -- was dumped in the gutter outside.
An arson dog was brought in to help investigators figure out how the fire started.