18 Displaced After Koreatown Apartment Fire Triggers Roof Collapse

LOS ANGELES, CA — A fire that tore through a Koreatown apartment building Tuesday morning partially collapsed the roof and displaced 18 residents, authorities said.

The blaze was reported at 7:22 a.m. at a two-story, garden-style building at 3221 James M. Wood Blvd., at Irolo Street, about a block west of Normandie Avenue, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.

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Firefighters arrived to find heavy smoke showing from the attic and encountered a stubborn fire that compromised part of the roof as crews worked to contain it. Approximately 90 firefighters were assigned to the scene, and the fire was declared out at 8:20 a.m., LAFD spokesman Jamie Stewart said.

No injuries were reported. Eighteen residents were displaced, and the American Red Cross was called in to assist those affected, along with utility companies and the city’s Department of Building and Safety.

Video from KTLA showed firefighters on the roof cutting ventilation holes as flames pushed through the structure, with portions of the roof visibly sagging before partially collapsing.

Traffic in the area was diverted during the firefighting effort and subsequent overhaul operations, with Department of Transportation personnel directing vehicles around the intersection.

The cause of the fire was under investigation.

City News Service contributed to this report.