LAFD firefighter hurt after falling at massive fire

The firefighter was taken to a hospital to be treated for non-life threatening injuries

Los Angeles Times

LOS ANGELES, Calif. — A Los Angeles city firefighter was injured Tuesday morning after falling while battling a massive fire in a metal fabricating facility in downtown L.A., officials said.

It is unclear how the firefighter was injured, or the extent of injuries, said Brian Humphrey, spokesman for the Los Angeles Fire Department. The firefighter was taken to an area hospital to be treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

Smith & Co., a custom lamp and wire fabricating shop, was open for business at 8:23 a.m. when the fire started inside the building in the 1300 block of Newton Street, he said.

Intense flames quickly spread through the building and tore through the roof, forcing 128 firefighters to take a defensive stance against blaze, Humphrey said.

After an aggressive fight that lasted 43 minutes, firefighters put out the flames and prevented them from spreading to nearby buildings.

The cause of the fire has not yet been determined.