2 other fires break out; unclear if related to massive downtown blaze

More than 100 firefighters were battling two other blazes in the city Monday morning while a massive fire in downtown Los Angeles engulfed an apartment tower that was under construction.

Just after 4 a.m., a fire broke out in a business on 7^th Street just west of Hoover Street in Westlake, officials said.

Irene Kim stood outside the two-story building Monday and said it was owned by her sister, Michelle Lee.

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“I just got a call from her crying; we got here and flames everywhere,” said Kim, who lives in the Westlake area. “I don’t know, I’ve never experienced a fire.”

The building houses four business: Happy Feet Clinic, Beauty Secret Hair Salon, Doggie Style and EclosLiving.

One and two-bedroom apartments are on the second floor, Kim said.

About an hour later in downtown, a third fire broke out – this one on South Broadway.

The fire was relatively small and “kept in check” by the building’s sprinkler system, said Los Angeles Fire Department spokeswoman Katherine Main.

The blaze broke out after 5 a.m. in a nine-story high-rise between 4^th and 5^th streets. The bulk of the damage to the building was from water, Main said. The fire was quickly knocked down.

It was unclear if any or all of the blazes were related, Main said.

Arson investigators, including an accelerant-sniffing dog, were on the scene of the first, largest fire at the DaVinci apartment complex development. Investigators arrived at the Westlake blaze about 7:45 a.m. They’re expected to eventually make their way to the smaller blaze on Broadway downtown, officials said.

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