3 businesses destroyed in Fashion District fire

Firefighters battled a blaze that damaged three businesses in the Fashion District of downtown Los Angeles Thursday morning.

The fire erupted around 4:20 a.m. in the 1200 block of Wall Street, near Pico Blvd, in a 50-foot-by-100-foot building. Arriving firefighters located flames through the roof and heavy smoke coming from the the businesses, said Margaret Stewart of the Los Angeles Fire Department.

About 30 minutes later, firefighters were pulled out of the businesses and transitioned to a defensive operation, battling the blaze from the exterior, and requested additional task forces, Stewart said.

Crews successfully prevented the fire from spreading to adjacent businesses, she said.

No injuries were reported in the first hour of the battle.

Firefighters were expected to remain at the location for several hours and drivers were asked to avoid the area of Wall Street and Pico Boulevard.

CNS contributed to this report