Chinatown Major Structure Fire Impacts 70 Residents; Multiple Injured Including Firefighters

CHINATOWN, LOS ANGELES, Sept. 13 (KNN) — A Major Emergency structure fire that began in one building spread to nearby structures, leaving multiple people injured – including firefighters – and many displaced early Friday morning in Chinatown.

Firefighters with the Los Angeles Fire Department were dispatched to the 800 block of North Bunker Hill Avenue at 3:43 a.m., where a three-story apartment building under construction was fully involved in flames, and multiple other buildings were exposed.

The fire extended to one of the exposed buildings, prompting three additional task forces to respond to the scene. According to the LAFD, firefighters were in defensive operations, fighting the main fire and defending the exposed buildings.

Residents were evacuated from the nearby exposed apartment building, where fire extended into units on the first and third floors while firefighters were making an offensive attack on the building.

By 5:21 a.m., the LAFD reported that knockdown was achieved in the building of origin and a three-story apartment building on the east side. Over 130 firefighters were at the scene of the Major Emergency fire.

According to the LAFD, the three buildings on the south and west sides have damage, the extent of which is still being assessed.

The Red Cross responded to assist residents who were left without shelter. Later in the morning, the LAFD updated the incident by stating that an estimated 70 displaced residents were awaiting word from the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety regarding which units may be occupied after building evaluation is completed.

According to the LAFD, there were a total of six patients – a 90-year-old man rescued from the affected North Bunker Hill building was transported in critical condition to a local hospital; two patients were assessed at the scene and declined transport; a 55-year-old woman in fair condition with non-life-threatening burn injury was also transported to a local hospital.

Additionally, two LAFD firefighters were physically impacted by the fire; one with a non-life-threatening extremity injury was taken to an occupational health facility, and the other with probable heat exhaustion was treated at the scene, according to the LAFD.

The LAFD Arson investigators also responded to the scene to investigate the cause of the fire.

Gabriel Pabon, Video Journalist / KNN