A second-alarm fire ripped through a one-story commercial building in El Monte early Sunday, sending a heavy response from Los Angeles County firefighters to Strozier Avenue in the middle of the night.
Crews reported arriving just after 3 a.m., dousing flames and smoke before declaring the fire knocked down a little over an hour later. Authorities have not yet released details on what sparked the blaze or whether anyone was hurt.
What the county reported
According to the L.A. County Fire Department, FS90 units were dispatched to 2400 Strozier Ave and arrived at approximately 3:03 a.m. to find “a one-story building with smoke and fire showing.” Fire officials later reported that crews “called knockdown at 4:25 a.m.” The department tagged the incident with #StrozierIC in its initial update.
What a second alarm means
A second-alarm assignment signals that commanders on scene called in extra help beyond the standard first-alarm response, essentially upping the fireground muscle. “On requesting a second alarm, three additional chief officers are dispatched to the scene,” Fire Engineering explains. Those added chiefs and units give the command team more capacity to manage strategy, fire attack and safety on a larger incident.
Investigations and next steps
The department’s Fire Prevention division notes that the Arson Fire Investigation Unit “conducts investigations of major alarm fires and other fires to determine the cause or investigate suspected arson.” If needed, that unit will interview witnesses, collect evidence and work with building-safety and utility partners as it pieces together how the fire started.
For now, the L.A. County Fire Department’s initial post remains the primary official update. We will continue to monitor official channels and update this report if more information becomes available.
