Photo: Getty Images
A man and a woman suffered critical burns today in a greater alarm fire inside a commercial building in the Vermont Square area of Los Angeles.
The blaze inside a two-story commercial building at 4220 S. Western Ave. was reported at 2:17 p.m., said Los Angeles Fire Department spokeswoman Margaret Stewart. The department dispatched 100 firefighters to battle the blaze, Stewart said. The bulk of the fire was knocked down in about 34 minutes.
However, the fire resulted in the collapse of the roof and one wall and firefighters were still knocking down small pockets of flames, she continued. The injured man and woman, both believed to be in their 30s, were taken to a hospital. Another person declined transport to a hospital for treatment.
Firefighters managed to prevent the fire from spreading to another building that was under construction. The LAFD's arson unit was also dispatched to the scene. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.