A fire erupted early Tuesday at a Whittier strip mall, leading to significant damage, particularly to the local favorite, Pizzamania, which had been a staple in the community for half a century. The Los Angeles County Fire Department reported to KTLA that the blaze was called in at 2:25 a.m. and was contained within the hour, although the devastation was already wrought upon five units in the complex located at Telegraph Road and Mills Avenue.

Among the businesses affected was Pizzamania, known for its longstanding presence and adored by locals for its service spanning 50 years, as per a NBC Los Angeles report, the fire left the restaurant nearly in ruins with LA County Supervisor Janice Hahn noting the difficulty facing both business owners and employees; Hahn pledged aid through various county services to support those impacted by the fire.

Other establishments, including a liquor store and El Camino Mexican food restaurant, were also gutted by the inferno, leading to heartbreak among the community as relayed by Vanessa Larios, a friend of the El Camino restaurant's owner, Larios expressed her devastation upon hearing the news, a sentiment echoed by residents throughout the area and shared in the words captured by the Whittier Daily News.

No injuries were reported from the incident, thanks to the rapid response of the firefighting team.