Greater-alarm fire breaks out near freeway in downtown Los Angeles

A greater-alarm fire broke out on Tuesday in a 20,000-square-foot vacant commercial building alongside the Santa Monica(10) Freeway in downtown Los Angeles, and firefighters were battling the blaze in part from an elevated portion of the freeway after the building structurally collapsed.  

The "San Pedro Fire" started about 4:10 p.m. in the one-storybuilding in the area of San Pedro Street and Washington Boulevard, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department's Brian Humphrey.  

Within 15 minutes of the firefight, the building structurally collapsed, but none of the 101 firefighters were injured, Humphrey said.  

Crews conducted a defensive operation to battle the flames, and all but one lane of the eastbound 10 Freeway were blocked by two fire engines.  

Crews conducted a defensive operation and offensive operation tobattle the flames, and all but one lane of the eastbound 10 Freeway were blocked by two fire engines.  

The fire was extinguished at 5:17 p.m., and no other structures were damaged, Humphrey said.  

There was no immediate word on what started the blaze.

Get your top stories delivered daily! Sign up for FOX 11’s Fast 5 newsletter. And, get breaking news alerts in the FOX 11 News app. Download for iOS or Android.