April 2, 2025 #1 Local News, Information and Event Source for the Century City/Westwood areas.

Federal bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to help determine cause of downtown Los Angeles apartment fire

A team from the federal bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives will join local investigators today in a probe that will determine if this week’s devastating fire in downtown Los Angeles was the result of arson, as several experts suspect.

“After a thorough investigation, it will be determined if the fire was incendiary or accidental in cause,” said Erik Scott, a Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman. For now, the area where a seven-story building under construction burned down is not a “crime scene” but an “investigative scene,” he said.

The federal team is believed to have arrived Tuesday. At 11:30 a.m. today, arson investigators from the ATF and Los Angeles Fire Department will hold a news conference at the corner of North Fremont and West Temple streets, near the site of Monday’s fire, which caused no injuries but is expected to exact an economic toll in the millions.

The news conference participants are likely to discuss their investigative game plan in the aftermath of an inferno that, along with destroying the building under construction, damaged three high-rise buildings and prompted hours-long freeway closures that affected thousands of commuters. The fire was so hot that it melted freeway signs, and at least 160 plate-glass windows were destroyed in a nearby city-owned building.

Accelerant-sniffing dogs will be deployed as part of the investigation. Arson investigators said they also plan to look at surveillance video from surrounding buildings.

“When we see a fire this well developed … (we think) perhaps it was set,” Los Angeles Fire Department Deputy Chief Joseph Castro said earlier this week, noting that flammable liquids are used on construction sites.

The standing buildings that were damaged include a 16-story city-owned building at 221 N. Figueroa St., where three floors sustained fire damage and 14 floors had water damage; a 15-story Los Angeles County Health Department building at 313 N. Figueroa St. which sustained radiant heat damage, including melted blinds and broken glass; and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power headquarters at 111 N. Hope St.

One of the city-owned towers — the 16-story structure — could be closed for six months, while the other could reopen by Thursday, city officials said. At the county-owned building, employees could be back at their desks today.

Crews with a private contractor used heavy equipment Tuesday to knock down scaffolding around the outside of the burned-out building, and firefighters were on standby, spraying down still-smoldering rubble and searching for possible hot spots.

Fire crews also continued spraying down the burned-out rubble and worked to secure the scene so investigators can begin sifting through the rubble.

The fire was reported at 1:20 a.m. Monday at the Da Vinci apartment complex at 906 N. Fremont Ave. The flames could be seen for miles as they consumed an entire city block and sent blazing scaffolding onto the Harbor (110) Freeway.

LAFD Chief Ralph Terrazas said more than 250 firefighters were deployed to fight the fire and keep it from spreading beyond the 1.3 million-square-foot structure, which was in the framing stage.

Authorities have announced a hotline number — (213) 893-9850 — and urged tipsters to call in with any information relevant to the investigation.

Related Posts

(Video) Spending an Afternoon at Pacific Park on the Santa Monica Pier

April 1, 2025

April 1, 2025

Go To Pacpark.com For Tickets and More Information. Go To https://t.co/HneRcysYh5 For Tickets and More Information. #amusementpark #rides #rollercoaster #summer...

Matū Kai to Debut in Brentwood With Grass Fed Wagyu and Global Flair This Week

April 1, 2025

April 1, 2025

Farm-To-Fork Beef, Wood-Fired Flavors, and Sustainability Meet on San Vicente The team behind Beverly Hills’ acclaimed steakhouse Matū has expanded...

Mid-City Freeway Death Under Investigation After Caltrans Workers Find Blanket-Covered Body

April 1, 2025

April 1, 2025

Woman Discovered on 10 Freeway Shoulder Identified; CHP Launches Probe Caltrans workers discovered a woman’s dead body around 9:00 a.m....

Community Support Saves Beloved West Hollywood Café from Closure

March 31, 2025

March 31, 2025

Packed Tables and Emotional Messages Helped Keep the Doors Open Le Petit Four, the popular Sunset Boulevard café known for...

Egg Beaters Recalled Over Possible Chemical Contamination

March 31, 2025

March 31, 2025

Massive Liquid Egg Recall Includes California Shipments Cargill Kitchen Solutions is recalling approximately 212,268 pounds of liquid egg products after...

Los Angeles County’s Measure A Raises Sales Tax On April 1, And It’s No Joke

March 31, 2025

March 31, 2025

Santa Monica, West Hollywood, Culver City, and Malibu Will See Higher Increases Starting April 1, Los Angeles County residents will...

Robbery Boast on Instagram Helps Send Beverly Hills Heist Suspect to Prison

March 31, 2025

March 31, 2025

Flashy Post, Federal Time: Smash-and-Grab Mastermind Sentenced Ladell Tharpe, 39, received an 84-month sentence from U.S. District Judge George H....

Actress Kim Delaney Arrested After Domestic Dispute; Partner Also Charged

March 31, 2025

March 31, 2025

Marina del Rey Police Arrest “NYPD Blue” Actress After Alleged Altercation Actress Kim Delaney, known for her Emmy-winning role on...

Union Workers at UCLA to Strike April 1 Over Staffing Shortages, Labor Disputes

March 31, 2025

March 31, 2025

Healthcare and Research Staff at UC to Strike, Alleging Unfair Labor Practices More than 20,000 healthcare, research, and technical professionals...

School of Rock Students Shine in Winter Performance Despite Widespread Fires

March 31, 2025

March 31, 2025

Summer Camp Registration Opens Now By Susan Payne Wildfire devastation wreaked havoc in areas of Los Angeles this January with...

Full House Creator’s Cielo Drive Estate Returns With Massive Price Drop

March 30, 2025

March 30, 2025

Franklin’s Mansion, Once the Site of the MansonTragedy, Back on Market Full House creator Jeff Franklin is returning to the...

Santa Monica, Beverly Hills See Real Estate Shifts After L.A. Wildfires

March 30, 2025

March 30, 2025

Beverly Hills and Brentwood Listings Triple in Wake of January Fires Home sales and listings have shifted dramatically across Westside...

Deputies Open Fire on Suspect in West Hollywood, Triggering Street Closures

March 30, 2025

March 30, 2025

Suspect Shot by LASD in West Hollywood Domestic Violence Response Authorities are investigating a shooting that occurred Saturday evening in...

West Hollywood Resident Returns, Vandalizes Property, 30 Minutes After Eviction

March 30, 2025

March 30, 2025

“Neighbor From Hell” Tried to Re-Enter His Apartment and Damaged Property Valentino Lopez, a 41 year old, male Hispanic, was...

New Deadline, More Access: LA County Debris Program Expands Scope, Extends Signup

March 30, 2025

March 30, 2025

Officials Broaden Scope to Help More Residents, Encourage Early Submission Los Angeles County officials have announced that FEMA has agreed...