Explosion Rocks Construction Site Near Echo Park

An explosion involving propane and a tar pot rocked a Little Tokyo construction site today, sending black smoke into the sky above a section of downtown Los Angeles, but injuring no one.

The blast happened about 2:45 p.m. during a roofing operation at a five- story apartment building under construction at 130 S. Hewitt St., Margaret Stewart of the Los Angeles Fire Department said.

Seventy-five firefighters responded and knocked down the blaze in 20 minutes, Stewart said.

The fire was limited to the building’s courtyard, Stewart said.

City News Service