A fierce fire in a non-operational downtown warehouse undergoing demolition, challenged firefighters for more than an hour Tuesday morning, but thankfully caused no injury.

 The Los Angeles City Fire Department was notified at 11:49 AM on August 11, 2020 of a structure fire at 1540 East Industrial Street in the Arts District of downtown Los Angeles.

Firefighters arrived quickly to note heavy fire deep within a large 2 story cold storage warehouse under active demoltion.

As dozens of additional LAFD responders were summoned to the scene, an eyewitness reported a demolition worker trapped behind rolling steel doors at the permiter of the compromised structure.

With a goal to limit fire spread and help affect a possible rescue, first arriving LAFD responders commenced forcible entry and extended firefighting handlines in an offensive posture, as their colleagues carefully took to the roof, prepared to perform strategic vertical ventilation and other operations that might be required to assist in that goal and prevent further harm.  

Within minutes though, the trapped man's subsequent self-escape and safety was confirmed, and the scores of firefighters committed to the blaze, now considered a major emergency, made a well-organized transition to defensive operations, battling fire from outside the structure with large diameter hoselines.

Those efforts proved successful, as flames were prevented from extending to other properties in the densely built industrial neighborhood, and soon curtailed. 

One hundred-thirty City of Los Angeles Firefighters under the command of Deputy Chief Phillip Fliegel confined the fire within the structure of origin, extinguishing all active flame in just 71 minutes. 

There were no injuries reported.

Fire loss to soon to be demolished structure was not determined, though the bold efforts of firefighters spared high value property in the densely built neighborhood from harm.

The cause of the major emergency fire remains under active investigation. 

Dispatched LAFD Units: AR1 BC1 BC11 BC5 BC706 CE59 CM21 CM22 E11 E14 E15 E17 E2 E202 E203 E209 E21 E210 E211 E221 E226 E229 E264 E3 E4 E9 EA1 EA2 EM1 EM25 HR3 PI2 RA17 RA3 RA803 RA809 RA9 SQ21 T10 T11 T2 T21 T26 T29 T3 T64 UR3 UR88