Fire Guts Two Floors of Building

A fire Sunday gutted the two top floors of a three-story building housing several clothing firms in downtown Los Angeles, fire officials said.

The Los Angeles Fire Department reported no injuries in the blaze at the Levine Bros. building at 6th and Los Angeles streets.

Smoke blanketed downtown from the time the fire began about 5:45 p.m. until it was put out two hours later, said Los Angeles City Fire Department spokesman Michael Little.

About 85 firefighters fought the flames, a task made more difficult because the fire spread to several small businesses in the 125-foot-by-50-foot brick building, Little said. Firefighters believe the building was unoccupied when the fire started, he said.

Because firefighters did not go inside the building for an “interior attack,” more time was needed to knock down the blaze, Little said.

“We determined it wasn’t a wise course of action to go inside,” he said.

Most of the fire damage was limited to the second and third floors, which housed a uniform maker, two garment manufacturers and a toy company, Little said.

Water runoff heavily damaged the ground floor and basement, which contained a textile company, he said.

No damage estimate was available. The cause of the blaze is under investigation, Little said.