Late Night Strip Mall Fire Destroys Several Businesses
A late night fire destroyed multiple businesses in a Boyle Heights strip mall but fortunately, no one was injured.
At 1:47AM on January 22, 2016 the Los Angeles Fire Department responded to a reported structure fire at 2191 E Whittier Blvd. The first unit on scene saw smoke at the back of a single story strip mall and an agressive intial attack ensued. However, the fire had a significant head start and quickly took hold, fire coming through the roof ten minutes into the fight. The intense fire, fueled by a ruptured gas line, compromised the structural integrity of the building which places firefighters in extreme danger, therefore crews transitioned to a defensive operation. Approximately 10 mins later, the facia on the front of the building began to fail and collapsed. The decision to move to a defensive operation ensured no firefighters were put at risk or injured during the collapse.
75 firefighters, under the leadership of LAFD Central Bureau Commander, Deputy Chief Phillip Fligiel, fully extinguished the fire in 59 minutes. LAFD Arson will investigate to determine cause.
Dispatched units: E25 RA25 E2 RA17 T9 E203 T3 EM1 BC1 E17 E201 T1 SQ21 BC11 CM22 E9 RA209 E3 E211 T11 E221 T21 EM11 BC13 HR56 E27 T5 E205 UR5 UR88 BC5 AR1 CM21
