Firefighters extinguished a “stubborn” early morning fire Tuesday at small strip of businesses in Boyle Heights that included a laundromat at the corner of 1st and Breed streets.
The blaze erupted around 12:30 a.m. at the row of one-story commercial units in the 2200 block of First Street in Boyle Heights, according to the Fire Department.
NBC4 reported that firefighters dealt with a broken gas line as they battled the fire that tore through the attic of the laundromat and caused the roof to collapse.
The department said 100 firefighters battled and extinguished the fire in two hours and 10 minutes. “This was an extended operation due to the difficulty accessing all areas of the fire because of the roof collapse,” the department said in a statement.
NBC 4 reported that the fire was under control just before 2 a.m. After the broken gas line was shut off, the fire was declared a knockdown at about 3 a.m.
No injuries were reported and the cause of the fire is under investigation.
UPDATE AT 6:30 pm: A visit to the site of the fire Tuesday afternoon revealed that all of the small businesses on the strip mall were completely destroyed, including a Mother’s Nutritional Center – a store that specializes in food items sold for expectant and nursing mothers and their young children, including those that qualify under the federal WIC program.
