Fire Sweeps Four Industrial Plants
A spectacular fire swept through four buildings in an industrial area of Los Angeles, near the border with Glendale on Tuesday night, and county health officials were summoned to the scene because of fears that cancer-causing substances could be released into the atmosphere, officials said.
The fire in the 4200 block of Verdant Street, just east of Griffith Park, was reported shortly after 7:30 p.m. and sent dense, black smoke billowing hundreds of feet into the air.
Firefighters focused their efforts on keeping the flames away from a heavily populated residential area no more than 100 feet from the burning buildings.
The blaze spread quickly to a products testing laboratory, a furniture factory, a shoe manufacturing plant and a detergent factory, officials said. Firefighters used breathing apparatus as they battled the blaze, but one Glendale firefighter suffered smoke inhalation.
Officials said two of the buildings were destroyed, but they had no estimate of damage. The cause was under investigation, officials said.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
