Fire tears through South Los Angeles charter school

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Firefighters battle a fire at the Animo South Los Angeles Charter High School along Western Ave. Tuesday afternoon. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

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Resident Antwan Shepard sprays down his house as a fire at the Animo South Los Angeles Charter High School burns along Western Avenue. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

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Andy Garcia,18, talks to a firefighter at his backyard fence as a fire burns on the campus of Animo South Los Angeles Charter High School, in south Los Angeles. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

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A firefighter reaches over a fence battling a structure fire on the campus of Animo South Los Angeles Charter High School, in south Los Angeles. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

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A structure fire on the campus of Animo South Los Angeles Charter High School, in south Los Angeles. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

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Firefighters battle a fire at the Animo South Los Angeles Charter High School along Western Ave. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

By Veronica Rocha

July 22, 2014 2:57 PM PT

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About 25 firefighters were battling a blaze that tore through a South Los Angeles charter school Tuesday, sending a huge plume of black smoke into the air.

The fire was reported about 2:20 p.m. at Animo South Los Angeles Charter High School, 11100 South Western Ave., said Los Angeles County Fire Inspector Scott Miller.

Firefighters arrived at the school to find heavy smoke and flames coming from the roof, he said.

Firefighters don’t believe any students were inside at the time of the fire because he said classes were not in session because of summer vacation. However, crews will search the building for possible victims as they continue to attack the blaze.

Roughly 30 minutes after the fire was first reported, live aerial television footage showed that most of the building’s roof had collapsed.

For breaking news in Los Angeles and throughout California, follow @VeronicaRochaLA. She can be reached at veronica.rocha@latimes.com.