Huge Downtown Inferno Rocks Los Angeles Overnight

Photo courtesy of KNBC-TV News

Los Angeles, CA—The City of Angeles was the scene of an overnight structure fire larger than I have ever seen before.  Reportedly over 250 firefighters battled the firestorm since it was reported at 1:20 AM. 

The massive blaze was adjacent to the Harbor #110 Freeway at the 900 block of Fremont Avenue. 

Additionally two nearby commercial high-rise buildings were severely damaged by heat, smoke, hundreds of broken windows and flooding from the sprinkler systems. 

Broken glass and debris could be found all over the neighborhood.  

By mid-morning the fire was nearly out but visibly smoldering.  I sent my drone up from the opposite side of the Harbor Freeway, which apparently was the only vantage point to see the ruins. 

The structure itself, which incidentally is located adjacent to a fire station, was to become the Da Vinci Apartments.  At least one million square feet of prime property was totally destroyed. 

Fire officials have said the blaze is very suspicious in nature and a massive investigation has begun with the LAPD and BATFE pooling their best resources. 

There are no damage estimates available right now but I'm sure it will be well into the hundreds of $Millions.

Reports are coming in that there has been criticism concerning the massive amount of wood used in the construction.  That causes me to shudder what a disaster this could have been had the apartments been completed and fully occupied.  Perhaps this was a cheap lesson in public safety. 

Here is some drone video of what’s left of the structure this morning.