Early Morning Blaze in Central-Alameda
Firefighters waged an intense battle at a large commercial building and successfully defended neighboring businesses.
On December 28th, at 5:30AM the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) responded to a reported structure fire at 1842 E 41st Place in Central-Alameda. Firefighters arrived to find heavy fire already burning through the roof, immediately forcing a defensive operation. Crews worked quickly to get multiple ladder pipes flowing water while forcible entry opened up the structure to allow hand line access to the blaze.
Over 100 firefighters, under the command of Assistant Chief Antoine McKnight, faced not only the intense flames but additional hazards from a partial roof collapse, high-voltage wires arcing and exterior walls starting to crumble. The 4,880 square foot building, constructed in 1940, stood next to several businesses to include an adjacent pallet yard which contained a high fire load. Only through the dedicated efforts of the LAFD firefighters was this fire extinguished in 90 minutes with no injuries while also preventing damage to the surrounding businesses.
LAFD Arson and Counter-Terrorism Section is actively investigating the cause per standard protocol for a fire of this magnitude.
