Nearly 100 firefighters battle blaze that engulfs downtown L.A. building

Nearly 100 Los Angeles city firefighters are battling a blaze that engulfed a downtown building late Friday night.

By 10:02 p.m., only small pockets of flames were left at the one-story structure at 917 S. San Julian Street. There were no serious injuries, though one firefighter was treated for a heat-related illness and was in “fair condition,” according to fire officials.

Firefighters arrived a little after 8 p.m. and found “pressurized smoke showing from the roof,” according to a department statement.

By 8:23 p.m. the blaze was upgraded to a “greater alarm” structure fire, which means between nine and 15 fire companies were called to the scene.

In total 99 firefighters were assigned to the effort, according to Los Angeles Fire Department spokesperson Margaret Stewart.

Firefighters advanced into the concrete building to locate the source of the fire. They were unable to find it, though fire officials said it may have been “overhead in a possible mezzanine.”

Eventually, as conditions in the building deteriorated and became more dangerous, firefighters left the structure at around 8:36 p.m., adopting a defensive posture outside of the building as water was blasted through entrances.