Overview
- Fire crews responded to a blaze in the 200 block of South Rexford Drive about 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, when flames had already spread into the attic of a garden-style apartment building across from Beverly Vista Middle School.
- Flames burned through the roof and caused a partial roof collapse while firefighters were attacking the fire, prompting crews to withdraw to a defensive strategy and apply water from aerial ladder trucks.
- Residents of the building and nearby properties were evacuated and tenants have been displaced, and the middle school briefly sheltered students before parent pickup resumed.
- Two firefighters were taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center for treatment, one for heat exhaustion and one for a minor burn, with officials saying the region’s extreme heat and heavy protective gear increased physiological stress on crews.
- The fire was brought under control and crews remain on scene to monitor hotspots and secure the structure, road closures and structural assessments are in place, and authorities continue an active investigation into the cause.