Firefighters on Thursday extinguished a blaze at a Torrance-area Big 5 Sporting Goods store that at one point had flames shooting through the building’s roof.
Firefighters arrived at the scene, located at 18308 Hawthorne Blvd., just after 8 p.m., Torrance Fire Department Captain Bob Millea said.
Flames were coming through the store’s roof top, and after about 15 minutes firefighters moved to a defensive mode, he said.
Forty-four firefighters worked about 40 minutes before declaring a knockdown around 8:45 p.m., but not before the building suffered a partial collapse toward the front.
Although a knockdown had been declared, Sky5 aerial footage showed flames were still coming from within the structure as of 9:15 p.m.
No one was injured during the incident, and Millea said the store was closed at the time.
The Big 5 website showed the Hawthorne Boulevard location was not open on Thursdays.
The fire bordered Redondo Beach, and prompted the closure of Hawthorne Boulevard and Ashley Avenue between 186th and West 182 streets, according to a Torrance Police Department news release.
It was not known how long the closures would last.
The Big 5 was located next to a Chik-fil-A fast-food restaurant and several smaller stores, Google Maps showed. The surrounding buildings did not appear to be damaged.
Police, firefighters and officials with the Southern California Edison responded to the scene.
An investigation into the cause was under way and an estimate on the cost of damage was not immediately available.