Massive downtown L.A. fire closes freeway, 250 firefighters battling

[Bosonic]

Source: LA Times

A massive fire in downtown Los Angeles closed down portions of two major freeways Monday morning and could be seen for miles.

More than 250 firefighters are battling the blaze at 909 W. Temple St., Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman David Ortiz said. “It’s huge," he said.

The building is slated to be a tall residential structure with commercial space on the lower level, but Ortiz said he did not believe anyone was living or working there when the fire broke out.

The 101 Freeway nearby is closed in both directions, he said. According to the California Highway Patrol, transition lanes between the 110 and 101 freeways were shutdown.

Read more: http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-massive-downtown-la-fire-closes-freeways-20141208-story.html

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[Cooley Hurd]

1. Fortunately, it's under construction and unoccupied...

...per the LA Times story.

[mnhtnbb]

2. yikes! Arson suspected?

[AngryDem001]

3. OMG.

That thing must have gone up like a Roman candle!

[riversedge]

4. the fire actually lights up the windows in other buildings.

[bemildred]

5. Wow. LA is burning.

Some insurance executive just got heartburn.

[Derek V]

6. Sorry

I didn't check (as I usually do) before posting a dupe, which has now been deleted.

[progressoid]

7. ...

[Marrah_G]

8. wow that is huge!

[Crabby Appleton]

9. Wow

Quite an inferno

[mahatmakanejeeves]

10. Photos, Video: Massive DTLA Apartment Fire Causes Partial 110 Freeway Closure

I'm hedging my bets. I had already posted to a thread that I now see is a dupe.

Photos, Video: Massive DTLA Apartment Fire Causes Partial 110 Freeway Closure



(KTLA)



(KTLA)

[KamaAina]

11. Big Papi is moonlighting with the L.A. fire department?

Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman David Ortiz said.

[hunter]

12. I was caught in traffic driving past that place a few months ago...

... and I remember thinking it was strange they were building with wood in such a densely developed urban area.

This isn't the first time such large wooden structures have burned down during construction.

Such buildings rely on fire resistant sheathing inside and out, and automatic sprinklers. Before the sprinklers and sheathing are installed they are very vulnerable to fire.

This reminds me of the Santana Row fire in San Jose in 2002. That was another large wooden building under construction.

[proverbialwisdom]

13. Updates.

http://touch.latimes.com/#section/1780/article/p2p-82225384/
http://touch.latimes.com/#section/1780/article/p2p-82223633/