Greater Alarm fire knocked down abandoned bank building in Boyle Heights
A fire that was burning in an empty commercial building in the 1300 block of South Soto Street in the Boyle Heights area was knocked down by firefighters.
The fire broke out around 1:26 p.m. Tuesday. It took firefighters about 89 minutes to contain the fire.
Roughly 80 firefighters with the Los Angeles Fire Department were assigned in defensive operations. One firefighter was evaluated on scene for minor injuries.
The incident, known as the Soto Fire, has escalated to Greater Alarm status, with heavy fire in the attic and extended throughout the vacant and boarded property.
The 5,937 sq. ft. building is a former bank built in 1950.
There is a full closure of Soto Street between Olympic Blvd. and 8th Street for an unknown duration while firefighters battle the blaze.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
