Overturned fuel tanker ignites fire in Boyle Heights

A flaming tanker truck that threatened a Boyle Heights neighborhood Friday has been extinguished, but not before a river of fuel flowing from the big rig caught fire and burned a building.

The building, said Fire Department spokesman Brian Humphrey, was heavily damaged. It was one of three buildings damaged in the late-afternoon incident.

Firefighters spent nearly 90 minutes fighting the stubborn spot fires and spraying water and foam on the tanker trunk in an effort to keep it cool.

Los Angeles firefighters initially rushed into the neighborhood after receiving reports that a tanker had overturned about 3:30 p.m. in the 2600 block of East 8th Street, fire officials said.

The flames and heat ignited a nearby car, which was reduced by the flames to a charred skeleton, broadcast video on KTLA showed.

The blaze also ignited the attic of a home. Firefighters could be seen chopping through the roof with axes to get to the heat source. A power pole also caught fire.

It was not immediately clear whether there were any injuries. Firefighters were monitoring the water runoff to ensure it did not enter the Los Angeles River.

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