firelensman – 6-3-2018 East Hollywood, Little Armenia District, Los Angeles – Los Angeles Firefighters battled a spectacular blaze that demolished a vacant two story strip mall at the intersection of Vermont Avenue and Fountain Avenue in L.A.’s Little Armenia District in East Hollywood.
Engine & Rescue 35 called in a “still alarm” as they happened to be across the street at Hollywood Presbyterian Hospital. Firefighters first on scene reported a two story strip mall, fully involved, with an occupied four story center hallway apartment to the south as an exposure, with extension.
With flames shooting 100 feet in the air firefighters set up wagon batteries and laid hand lines to douse the flames and cool off the exposure.
In minutes most of the strip mall’s second floor collapsed into the first floor and unto the sidewalk.
Firefighters dropped bagged handlines to the pre-33 center hallway apartment as the fire did extend to a couple of units on the second floor.
Most of the occupants of the apartment building were evacuated safely, a few were “sheltered in place.”
Approximately 118 LAFD Firefighters manning several wagon batteries and numerous handlines brought most of the fire under control in an hour and a half’s time. One Firefighter suffered a minor injury. Damage was extensive, several persons were displaced.
This strip mall was the site of a large previous fire a year ago. The cause of the predawn “major emergency” blaze is under investigation. – MNR –
