On Monday, the Los Angeles Fire Department reported that a structure fire on Tobias Avenue in Panorama City was extinguished after an intense blaze tore through the old Montgomery Ward building. The fire was first reported at 1:38 PM, as updated by the LAFD, it took approximately 110 firefighters just about an hour to subdue the flames. Official details reveal that the fire was confined to the one-story section of the split-level structure, thankfully not spreading to its two-story counterpart.

The LAFD has not only managed to knock down the flames but is now also overseeing the clean-up and rehabilitation process. Rehabilitation vehicles have been dispatched to support the firefighters’ welfare, as per the LAFD. Agencies, including LA Building and Safety, have been called to the scene to evaluate the building's structural soundness, and LAFD Heavy Equipment teams are on the ready, should demolition be deemed necessary. This rapid coordination is part of the department's protocol to ensure the safety of both the public and their crew, as they continue to thoroughly investigate to eventually pinpoint the cause of the fire.

It's a relief to many that no injuries were reported in this potentially dangerous situation, as detailed by the LAFD. The fire department's capacity to quickly control and extinguish the fire likely played a key role in this positive outcome.