
Early this morning, the Los Angeles Fire Department was faced with a major challenge as a city-block-sized area of structures under construction was enveloped in flames in Central Alameda. According to the LAFD alert, the incident, designated as INC#0144, broke out around 3:25 AM at 4342 S Lima Street. More than 140 firefighters were dispatched to the site, mounting a massive response effort against the sprawling inferno known as a "stick fire."
With the fire threatening nearby buildings on all four sides, evacuation protocols were swiftly executed. Firefighting crews established hose lines for structure protection, and efforts were under way to help local residents evacuate, as revealed in a follow-up report by LAFD. Battling not only the blaze but also navigating downed wires from fire-damaged utility poles, these first responders stood as the thin red line between containment and catastrophe.
The LAFD update later stated a "knockdown" was achieved by 4:43 AM, with the efforts of both LAFD and neighboring LA County Fire Department crews finally extinguishing the fire in just under 80 minutes. The structure at the heart of the blaze was identified as a multi-family residential building still in the framing stages of construction.
Despite the successful suppression of the flames, a morning update brought grim news of injuries associated with the event. As reported by LAFD, three individuals were affected by the blaze, with two, a 66-year-old male and a 64-year-old female, being transported to the hospital with serious burn injuries. Another, a 30-year-old male, declined transport after being evaluated. The count of buildings impacted rose to seven, with five now seen as a total loss. 17 residents found themselves unable to return to their homes—a figure set against the backdrop of early daylight as the Red Cross and LA City Emergency Management Department stepped in with aid.