Over one hundred Los Angeles City Firefighters battled flames for several hours at a Downtown Los Angeles clothing supply Friday morning, protecting nearby businesses from the intense heat, during a Major Emergency structure fire.

A 9-1-1 call was placed to the Los Angeles City Fire Department at 5:09 AM on Friday, April 5, 2024, reporting a structure fire on the 1400 block of South Main Street. Firefighters found a one-story commercial building with smoke showing, and forced entry through large metal roll-up doors. Crews advanced hose lines into the building and ascended ladders to the roof, but the heavy fire load continued to feed the intensity of the growing flames.

At the order of Incident Commander, Battalion Chief Adam Knabe, crews retreated from the roof and exited the building. Firefighters set up defensive operations, and continued the fire fight from the exterior of the building only, using ladder pipes, portable monitors, and hose lines from adjacent rooftops.

As the fire burned hotter and hotter inside, the roof failed and part of it fell inward. This gave firefighters better angles and access with their hose streams. Firefighters continued to flow water for several more hours, focusing their efforts on keeping the neighboring structures cool.

After four hours and 12 minutes, 120 firefighters eliminated the flames set deep within the commercial space. The building was a total loss and LAFD Heavy Equipment was required to tear apart the rubble and allow firefighters access to cool hot spots buried within the pile of debris. There were no injuries and the cause of the fire is under investigation.