Attic fire destroys Whittier strip mall; one firefighter hurt
One firefighter was injured early Tuesday when a fire ripped through a strip mall in Whittier, destroying the five-unit building.
Firefighters rushed to the 15000 block of Leffingwell Road about 3:20 a.m., KTLA-TV Channel 5 reported.
“It started in the attic of the laundromat [and] spread throughout the building,” Los Angeles Fire Department Inspector Scott Miller told KTLA. “We did have a partial collapse of the structure.”
The blaze burned until dawn, finally being extinguished at 6:30 a.m., NBC4 reported.
“It was like a big ball of orange,” nearby resident Vince Torres told NBC. “I was amazed. I’ve never seen anything like that before.”
One firefighter suffered minor burns during the incident, according to media reports. The cause of the fire is under investigation. The building was a total loss, firefighters told KTLA.
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Twitter: @josephserna
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