Firefighters in Los Angeles faced down a fierce blaze Wednesday afternoon, as a fire consumed a vacant strip mall in the Mid-Wilshire area. According to a Los Angeles Fire Department alert, the fire began at 1:24 PM, with crews arriving at the single-story structure at 5517 W San Vicente Boulevard to find smoke billowing from the attic.

In a statement obtained by the LAFD, the firefighters initiated an aggressive attack, forcing their way into the mall. Although no individuals were endangered inside the boarded-up strip mall, the strategy shifted dramatically after a facade and roof collapsed requiring a retreat to a defensive posture with heavy streams of water deployed. Despite the presence of dangerous lightweight roofing materials and common attic space, the fire was declared knocked down at 3:13 PM, after 78 firefighters battled the fire for almost two hours, as reported by a subsequent alert from the LAFD.

The blaze, which required additional support for rehabilitation and air tanks for the firefighters engaged at the scene, led to the demolition of the remaining structure due to safety concerns. In the process to ensure there was no risk to future life safety, an excavator was called in for the demolition work, as elaborated in an LAFD news release.

Fortunately, no fire spread to adjacent properties was reported and there were no injuries in the incident. According to the LAFD, several companies, including heavy equipment specialists, remained on-scene to carry out teardown operations well into the evening. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.