Crews battle large fire at South LA commercial building

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A fire raced through the ductwork of a commercial building Monday in South Los Angeles, eventually burning through the roof and forcing firefighters to fight the flames from outside the structure.

The fire was reported at 8:08 p.m. at a food processing plant at 4020 S. Compton Ave., according to Margaret Stewart of the Los Angeles Fire Department.

Firefighters were unable to contain the flames and the blaze turned into a greater alarm fire, with flames shooting through the roof of the one-story concrete building and a column of black smoke rising skyward.

More than 170 firefighters responded and two hazardous materials teams worked to identify the chemicals in and around the structure, Stewart said.

Some explosions have been heard, which Stewart said are likely propane tanks on forklifts inside the structure, but no injuries were reported and any workers present were evacuated.

The fire continued to burn more than two hours after it was reported.

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