Carlos Canino, the special agent in charge of the Los Angeles Field Division of the ATF, said in some parts of the building, they may have to remove as many as seven floors to get to the bottom of the apartment complex, which was one block long.
“If this was handled by local resources, we'd be bogged down at this fire scene for nine months. It’s just too big,” he said.
The Damage
Monday’s fire quickly consumed a large amount of exposed wood in the seven-story structure, which covers an entire city block near the interchange of the 110 and 101 freeways.
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The fire prompted hours of freeway closures, melted freeway signs, and broke windows in nearby buildings. A neighboring 16-story city-owned building sustained extensive fire and water damage and could be closed for six months.
No one was injured, but the economic cost is expected to be high. The apartment building, called Da Vinci apartments, was valued at $10 million.
The fire at the apartment complex was reported at 1:20am on Monday. More than 250 firefighters were deployed to fight the fire.
Authorities urged anyone with information about the possible cause of the fire to call the LAFD Arson Department at (213) 893-9850.
