Fire breaks out in vacant Venice Boulevard building Friday
By Sam Catanzaro
A vacant building on Venice Boulevard in Palms is currently up in flames.
According to the Los Angles Fire Department (LAFD), the fire was reported at 11:20 a.m. at 10801 Venice Boulevard, burning in a vacant dental office.
LAFD and Culver City Fire Department crews arrived to find a one-story vacant commercial building with heavy smoke showing.
At 11:45 a.m., the LAFD reported that “Two additional task forces have responded. Crews fighting fire inside the structure are now withdrawing to transition to defensive operations (applying water from the exterior only), as the battle continues.”
According to 12:18 Citizen post, firefighters remain on scene and report they are making progress extinguishing the fire. Flames on one side of the building that have been successfully contained, Citizen also notes.
This article will be updated as more information becomes available.
1:51 p.m.update from the LAFD: 91 LAFD firefighters continue to battle this greater alarm two-story commercial structure fire after almost an hour and a half. After an initial interior (offensive) attack, crews retreated to an exterior position (defensive attack) due to concerns about structural integrity. The roof later collapsed, making it difficult to reach all areas. At least five ladder pipes were flowing concurrently during the height of the fire. The majority of the flames have been knocked down, but there are still inaccessible pockets of fire. Bystanders report that all occupants got out of the vacant building (former dental offices). HAZMAT teams have determine there are no hazards from potential leftover medical equipment. Urban Search and Rescue crews are assessing the structural integrity and developing a plan for extinguishing the rest of the smoldering sections safely. Crews will remain on scene for an extended period of time to dewater the basement level and complete a thorough search
