A greater alarm fire Tuesday morning in the central industrial district of downtown Los Angeles, gutted a metal fabricating firm and sent two firefighters to the hospital.

The Los Angeles Fire Department received a 9-1-1 call reporting a structure fire at 7:40 AM on February 9, 2016.  Firefighters arrived quickly at 1361 East Newton Street, to battle flames that already roared through the roof of a one-story 5,000 square foot industrial building.

With confirmation that all workers had exited safely - and noting that load-bearing unreinforced masonry walls of the 86 year-old building were quickly showing strain, a swift transition was made to defensive operations, as LAFD crews deployed large hoselines to secure the perimeter of the building, and protect nearby businesses as sections of the roof gave way and flames intensified. 

One hundred twenty-eight firefighters under the command of Battalion Chief Raymundo Gomez successfully confined flames to building of fire origin, extinguishing the blaze in just 43 minutes. At the peak of the battle, one Los Angeles firefighter fell 12 feet from the roof, sustaining a non-life threatening injury. Later, during the salvage and overhaul phase that followed the fire, another firefighter stepped through a flame-weakened mezzanine floor, suffering a lower leg injury.

The men, in good condition, were taken by LAFD ambulance to an area hospital, where they were treated and released. No other injuries were reported. The building - all but destroyed by the fast-moving fire, was not fitted with optional fire sprinklers.

Monetary loss to Smith & Company, a metal fabricating firm, is still being tabulated. The cause of the fire remains under active investigation.

Dispatched Units: E14 RA14 E9 T9 RA809 E221 T21 EM1 BC1 SQ21 E10 T10 E210 E17 E21 E4 E203 T3 CM22 EM13 BC11 BC13 E3 UR3 RA803 HR56 T27 E227 UR88 BC5 BC18 RA3 EM25 CM21 BC741 T61 E261 AR1 E15 T33 E233 E26 RM1 EA1 RA9 RA26 AR14 RT59 PH1 RA10 E210 T10

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