City News Service
 Photo Mike Meadows An L.A. firefighter uses a circular saw at the scene. |
LOS ANGELES — Flames surged through a one-story strip of commercial buildings in Sun Valley today and destroyed two businesses, authorities said.
The greater alarm fire at 10917 W. Randall St., near Borden Avenue, was reported at 2:56 a.m., said Los Angeles Fire Department spokeswoman d’Lisa Davies.
“The fire was pretty heavy when they arrived,” Davies said.
Firefighters went into defensive mode within 20 minutes, she said, describing an approach that calls for fighting a blaze from the exterior once the interior becomes too dangerous.
The blaze was knocked down at 3:44 a.m. by roughly 70 firefighters, and no injuries were reported, she said.
The fire appeared to have started at “Euro Style, a wood refinishing business, before spreading to Hastings Electric, Davies said. Both businesses were destroyed.
At one point flames spread to a slaughterhouse business but the damage it sustained was minor, she said.
“Animal Regs was called to the scene to determine what to do with the livestock,” Davies said referring to chicken, sheep and quail at the business.
“There wasn’t much damage to the slaughterhouse so the animals will probably stay in place but they may be re-housed due to firefighting operations,” she added.
No animals died in the fire.
The other businesses in the L-shaped strip mall sustained minor smoke damage, Davies said.
The cause of the fire was under investigation.
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