A roaring fire tore through a three-story vacant apartment building in Los Angeles’ Koreatown on Wednesday evening, sending thick smoke into the neighborhood and pulling a major response from city firefighters to 116 S New Hampshire Avenue.
According to the Los Angeles Fire Department, the blaze, logged as Inc#1396, involved heavy fire and smoke in at least one unit on the top floor of the vacant building. Crews moved in with an interior fire attack and went to the roof to ventilate, and the department noted that Battalion 11 and Fire Station 6 were among the units on scene, with additional resources requested as the incident grew.
What crews found
Engine and truck companies, rescue ambulances and battalion officers from across the central bureau rolled in to tackle the flames. Firefighters focused on boxing the blaze into the affected third-floor unit while opening up the roof to relieve heat and smoke and cut off any chance of fire spreading into neighboring apartments.
Neighborhood context
Koreatown has seen its share of apartment fires in recent years, and its dense mix of older multi-story buildings means LAFD rarely sends a small crew when an alarm hits. Coverage of a nearby New Hampshire Avenue blaze last year highlighted a similarly large response just a short distance from Wednesday’s scene.
Investigation and next steps
The cause of Wednesday’s fire remained under investigation, and officials listed the Los Angeles Police Department as associated with the call under Inc#3744. The Los Angeles Fire Department identified Lyndsey Lantz as a contact for the incident and said crews had called in additional resources while working to secure the property.
Firefighters stayed on scene into the evening as investigators worked to nail down where and how the blaze started. This story will be updated as agencies release more information.
