LOS ANGELES – A firefighter and four civilians were injured in a large fire at an apartment complex in Gardena on Monday.
According to the Los Angeles County Fire Department, firefighters responded to the 12900 block of South Vermont Avenue at 11:55 a.m. Monday on reports of an apartment structure on fire.
The single-alarm fire was upgraded to a second alarm at 12:07 p.m., authorities said.
Video captured by Sky5 showed firefighters mopping up the mess from the apartment building’s rooftop. A large balcony and the interior of one of the apartments appeared to have sustained heavy fire damage.
Shortly after the fire broke out, an L.A. County Fire Department spokesperson confirmed to KTLA that a firefighter had sustained burns and was transported to Torrance Memorial Medical Center.
L.A. County Fire Department officials later confirmed that an additional four victims, all civilians, were also transported to a local hospital.
Their conditions and the condition of the injured firefighter have not been released.
The fire was declared a knockdown around 12:40 p.m. Monday afternoon, authorities confirmed.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Luis Zuñiga contributed to this report.