Firefighters knock down massive blaze at South L.A. food processing plant; arson investigators on scene

Firefighters battled a massive gas-fed inferno Monday night at a commercial food processing plant in South Los Angeles, and officials said explosions were heard from inside the burning building.

The fire was reported about 8:10 p.m. at South Compton Avenue and East 41st Street, said Margaret Stewart, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles Fire Department. The building is the plant for Proportion Foods, which marinates, cooks and processes a variety of meats at the 75,000-square-foot facility.

Just after 11 p.m., the fire was knocked down, but firefighters were planning to remain overnight and monitor for any hot spots, Stewart said.

Earlier in the evening, officials said the blaze was limited to a kitchen along one side of the one-story commercial building, authorities said. Once inside, firefighters saw that the flames were in the duct work.

The flames quickly spread into the ceiling and attic before bursting through the roof, and about 8:45 p.m., Stewart said that firefighters were shifting to defensive operations. The LAFD also ordered firefighters outside the building.

A gas line in the ceiling helped to drive the blaze and complicate the efforts of the more than 170 firefighters at the scene. Small explosions were also audible, which officials attributed to the propane tanks on forklifts inside.

Footage on KCAL-TV Channel 9 showed flames tearing through the roof, sending a huge plume of smoke into the night sky.

No injuries were reported, and all staffers inside were evacuated before the fire spread. LAFD arson investigators arrived at the scene and were looking at what sparked the blaze. Officials did not provide any preliminary indication of what caused the fire.

With the roof destroyed, Stewart said the building would likely be declared a total loss.

Two hazardous materials teams were also working to identify chemicals and other substances around the building, Stewart said.

matt.hamilton@latimes.com

Twitter: @MattHjourno

UPDATES:

11:20 p.m.: This article was updated with the fire being knocked down.

10:15 p.m.: This article was updated with information on explosions being heard from inside the burning building.

9:50 p.m.: This article was updated with details on the number of firefighters at the scene and the hazardous materials response team.

9:25 p.m.: This article was updated with additional details on the fire’s size and growth.

This story was originally published at 9:10 p.m.