LOS ANGELES, CA – A major emergency fire at an industrial flooring business in the Central-Alameda neighborhood of Los Angeles spread to an adjoining building early Monday and took more than four hours to bring under control, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.
The fire was reported at about 1:02 a.m. Monday, Nov. 9, at 5505 S. Alameda St., near East 55th Street, the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) said in a news release. The department declared knockdown at 5:24 a.m., about 4 hours and 22 minutes after the first call.
LAFD said about 200 of its firefighters, assisted by the Los Angeles County Fire Department, fought the fire. No injuries were reported, and the cause had not been confirmed.
First crews find building fully involved
The first-arriving unit reported a 100-by-100-foot commercial building fully involved, according to an LAFD alert for the incident. The alert lists the address in the department’s South Bureau and in Council District 9, and says units were operating in offensive mode.
In its later news release, the department described the building as measuring 100 by 150 feet. Firefighters first attacked the fire from inside the building.
As the fire grew, Incident Command escalated the response to a major emergency and moved to a defensive strategy. Firefighters then fought the main blaze from outside the structure.
Fire extends into adjoining two-story building
The fire extended into an adjoining two-story, metal-clad building. LAFD spokeswoman Jennifer Middleton said at the scene that the fire had grown to a major emergency, with more than 120 firefighters working in a defensive posture on the main blaze.
According to initial reports, firefighters entered the neighboring building to fight the fire there while crews continued to work on the original structure from outside. Those reports also say a roof collapse occurred and that firefighters found propane tanks on the property and kept them secure.
Assistant Chief Carlos Calvillo served as incident commander, according to the department.
High-tension lines arcing on the property
High-tension electrical lines on the property were arcing during the fire. The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power shut down the affected lines, LAFD said.
The department also used a firefighting robot, identified as RS3, and heavy equipment during the operation. Crews worked to open up the burning material and reach pockets of fire inside the buildings.
Flooring business held combustible material
The building where the fire started is one of four connected structures that house an industrial flooring business. LAFD said the business specializes in hardwood and cork materials.
LAFD Capt. Branden Silverman said at the scene that the property operated as a flooring company and held a significant amount of combustible material piled high inside. He said that created a heavy fire load.
Agencies coordinate and drivers asked to avoid area
Several city agencies are coordinating at the site, LAFD said. They are the Los Angeles Police Department, the Department of Water and Power, the Los Angeles Department of Transportation, the Emergency Management Department, the Department of Building and Safety and the South Coast Air Quality Management District.
The department asked motorists to avoid East 50th Street to Slauson Avenue and Alba Street to Alameda Street. Train service was not affected.
LAFD said it expects no other significant community impacts. It said the smell of smoke will dissipate.
Structure fire calls in LAFD data
The department publishes annual figures on its responses. In 2019, LAFD responded to 4,109 structure fire incidents, an average of 11.3 per day, according to the department’s 2019 statistics.
That same year, LAFD resources responded to 499,167 incidents in all, a 1.62% increase over the prior year and a record high for the department.
Overhaul operations to continue for several days
LAFD said in its release that “extended overhaul operations are expected to continue for several days.” Overhaul is the stage after knockdown, when crews work through debris and check for remaining hot spots. Traffic restrictions around the site were expected to remain during that work.
The department said that “no injuries have been reported as a result of this fire, the cause of which has not yet been confirmed.” LAFD had not released a damage estimate.
