Fire Breaks Out In Downtown LA Building

LOS ANGELES, CA — A restaurant fire in a Downtown highrise sent smoke billowing through the building Monday morning, and firefighters were working to find people who may be stuck on upper floors.

The blaze was reported shortly before 8:30 a.m. inside a vacant restaurant on the ground floor of at 255 S Grand Avenue,* according to the Los Angeles Fire Department spokeswoman Margaret Stewart. One person may have suffered burns in the blaze, she said.

Firefighters arrived to find "a well-established fire in a restaurant on the ground floor of a multi-story, high-rise building," Stewart said in a written statement. "There are (unconfirmed) reports of persons (number unknown) stuck in elevators. This will significantly impact traffic in the area — please avoid."

According to Stewart, there were reports of a possible explosion in the kitchen, but crews were able to quickly pit out the flames. However, smoke exposure remained a concern. The smoke traveled upwards through the building, and firefighters were searching for people who may have become stuck inside the building's elevators.

Shortly before 9 a.m., firefighters were conducting a search and rescue operation throughout the building.

CORRECTION: Due to a reporting error, an earlier version of this story misidentified the location and address of this fire.