Crime & Safety
One Killed in Vacant Westlake Building Fire
The fire was reported just after 7 p.m. at a two-story building at 2411 W. Eighth St., near MacArthur Park,
LOS ANGELES, CA - One person was killed and several others rescued as fire tore through a vacant office building in the Westlake district Monday.
The greater-alarm fire was reported just after 7 p.m. at a two-story building at 2411 W. Eighth St., near MacArthur Park, Brian Humphrey of the Los Angeles Fire Department said.
Firefighters were forced into a defensive posture, fighting the flames from outside the structure, according to Humphrey, who said the fire was declared a major emergency.
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About 145 firefighters were battling the blaze, he said.
Five civilians, all described as unauthorized occupants, were injured, Humphrey said.
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Three of those were the rescued patients, he said.
One person described as a person of interest was questioned by Los Angeles police, Humphrey said.
That person and one other rescuee were taken to a hospital for treatment of non-life threatening injuries.
As of about 9 p.m. a knockdown of the fire had not been reported.
— City News Service, photo via Shutterstock