Fire in downtown Los Angeles destroys apartment tower under construction
A large fire in downtown Los Angeles destroyed an apartment tower that was under construction and forced the closure of parts of two major freeways, leaving thousands of Angelenos facing a difficult Monday morning commute.
Los Angeles Department spokesman told the Los Angeles Times that more than 250 firefighters were battling the blaze. Fire officials also said that other buildings nearby suffered damage. One building suffered "radiant heat damage" on three floors, while the second suffered fire damage on three floors and water damage on the remaining 14 floors.
No injuries to firefighters were immediately reported and Ortiz said that he didn't think anyone was living or working at the site when the fire broke out. The cause and extent of the fire was not yet known.
The Times reported that the fire broke out at around 1:20 a.m. local time and could be seen all over Los Angeles, with some images of the blaze taken from as far away as the Hollywood Hills appearing on social media.