WEST HOLLYWOOD—At the corner of Pico and Robertson, the Los Angeles Fire Department battled a mid-day fire on Friday, July 24, which engulfed a three-story commercial building, nearly putting it on the verge of collapse.
The fire was reported at 11:32 a.m. Firefighters arrived on the scene to battle the blaze, but fire crews were forced to back off, and regroup, vacating the roof of the building out of fear of it collapsing.
Firefighters used the top of another building, next door, spraying water hoses to battle the commercial fire. It was about 1:45 p.m. when the blaze was under control, according to officials on the scene.
Fire crews were warned that the blaze could possibly spread to adjacent buildings nearby. Children at a nearby school were evacuated, and an elderly couple, who lived in a single-family home behind the building, were also evacuated.
Authorities were forced to shut down Pico Boulevard in both directions, to assist fire trucks. It is unknown what kind of business was being housed inside the building. Additionally, authorities have not been able to determine what the cause of the fire. According to reports, one firefighter was transported to a local hospital for heat-related illness sustained while battle the blaze. The condition was not life-threatening.
