Fire Races Through 6-Story Westlake Building

A six-story commercial building in the Westlake District caught on fire tonight, and at least two people were rescued by a firefighter on a ladder.

The fire at 1543 W. Olympic Blvd. at Union Avenue was reported at 7:45 p.m., said the Los Angeles Fire Department’s Brian Humphrey.

The fire appeared to be mostly on the fifth floor, burning up through the sixth story in parts.

People below the top floors were stuck, saying they couldn’t see because of the smoke and flames. Firefighters carried their equipment up and down the stairway, looking for people to rescue and to douse the flames.

The 66,000-square-foot building, mostly devoted to medical offices, was built in 1956, Humphrey said.

No injuries were immediately reported.

By about 8:30 p.m., the black smoke coming out of the top floors was turning white, and it appeared firefighters were beginning to get a handle on it.

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• City News Service
• Photo Credit: Twitter user Ryan Parker ‏@TheRyanParker
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