A man and a woman were hospitalized in serious condition after a massive fire erupted in the Central-Alameda neighborhood of Los Angeles Tuesday morning.
The fire was reported around 3:25 a.m. and involved a “city-block-sized area” of structures in the 1500 block of East Vernon Avenue, according to an alert from the Los Angeles Fire Department.
Over 140 firefighters battled the blaze, which also threatened adjacent structures, officials said.
Two people, described as a 66-year-old man and a 64-year-old woman, were hospitalized with serious burn injuries, according to the fire department.
A 30-year-old man was also evaluated at the scene but declined hospital transport.
Crews assisted other residents who were asked to evacuate their homes during the firefight.
One resident told KTLA that a neighbor woke them up as the fire was raging.
“He hopped the fence, got on top of the roof and then he banged on our window,” the resident said.
The neighbor told them there was a fire, so she woke up her husband and went outside and saw the flames threatening their home.
“I just thank God that he saved our home,” her husband said.
The fire ultimately impacted a total of seven buildings, with five of them deemed a total loss, according to the fire department.
Seventeen residents have been unable to return to their homes due to the damage.
The American Red Cross and the Los Angeles City Emergency Management Department are providing assistance.
The fire was declared a knockdown after 1 hour and 18 minutes, according to the fire department.
Investigators said the blaze started at a multi-family residential building that was in the framing stages of construction.
There was no word on what may have caused the fire.
