Crews battle fire at battery storage facility in South Los Angeles

A fire at a battery storage facility in South Los Angeles turned into a tough battle for crews early Sunday morning.

According to the Los Angeles Fire Department, the blaze was reported at 4:33 a.m. at 16208 South Vermont Street, adjacent to the border between L.A. and the city of Gardena.

The LAFD initially entered a defensive firefighting mode due to large battery storage and a subterranean electrical vault in the building.

Large amounts of the battery storage were burning off as of 9 a.m., creating an issue for firefighters and the nearby community, the LAFD said. Hazmat specialists were on site as of 8 a.m. to monitor the air quality and water runoff.

The L.A. Department of Water and Power was on-scene working to de-energize the structure.

The blaze was knocked down by 10:45 a.m., the LAFD said. A crew of 144 firefighters took about five hours to contain the "complex" fire, while handling various issues facing public safety.

No evacuations were ordered.

Hazmat units remained on scene after knockdown to examine any hazards that may result from the buring of lead-acid batteries, the LAFD said. No injuries were reported.

No additional details were immediatley made available.