A man’s remains were found amid the search for a worker who went missing during a blaze that also left a firefighter injured at a commercial structure in South Los Angeles Monday afternoon, officials said.
Firefighters responded around 3:30 p.m. to the building in the Florence neighborhood on the 1000 block of East 60th Street that is believed to contain a metal furnishings manufacturing firm, the L.A. Fire Department said in an alert.
The deceased victim was believed to be one of two employees who ran into the burning building before firefighters arrived, LAFD said.
One of the men escaped to safety, but the other was not seen exiting and was later unaccounted for. Firefighters searched the charred structure for more than an hour, including in areas that were densely packed with metal storage, before the remains were found, officials said.
Coroner’s officials were working to positively identify the victim’s remains and determine exactly how he died.
More than 100 firefighters responded to battle the flames at the one-story, metal-clad building. A neighboring structure had been threatened, but crews were able to protect it, authorities said.
One firefighter fell 4 feet from a ladder while battling the flames and was taken to the hospital, but he or she was expected to survive, according to LAFD.
No other injuries were reported.
The blaze was fully extinguished about an hour after it broke out.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation, and no further details were immediately available.