3-Story Building Under Construction Consumed By Fire

On Tuesday, February 16, 2010 at 4:19 AM, 15 Companies of Los Angeles Firefighters, 7 LAFD Rescue Ambulances, 1 Urban Search and Rescue Unit, 1 Rehab Unit, 1 Hazardous Materials Team, 2 Arson Units, 3 EMS Battalion Captains, 1 Heavy Equipment Team including 3 Bulldozers, 5 Battalion Chief Officer Command Teams and 1 Division Chief Officer Command Team, a total of 119 Los Angeles Fire Department personnel under the direction of Assistant Chief David Yamahata, responded to a Major Emergency Structure Fire at 2020 South Main Street in the Washington Boulevard Corridor south of downtown Los Angeles.

Summoned by a passerby, Los Angeles Firefighters arrived quickly to find a three-story building comprised of a two-story hotel over commercial units that was "under construction" and well involved with fire.

Varying degrees of construction, including raw lumber, open conduits and routine construction debris, allowed the fire to spread rapidly and gain a stubborn foothold as Firefighters tackled the flames.

Firefighters utilized Rotary saws to cut through metal fences in order to gain access around the yet to be occupied building. A bold defensive operation commenced against a well-entrenched fire using heavy-streams such as Ladder-pipes capable of spraying up to 1,000 gallons per minute.

The fire was confined to the structure of origin and extinguished in just 45 minutes and no injuries were reported.

Loss from the fire is $600,000 (structure only, no contents). The cause of this early morning blaze remains under active investigation.

(photos)

Submitted by Brian Humphrey & Erik Scott, Spokesman
Los Angeles Fire Department