LOS ANGELES A raging fire Monday destroyed a massive apartment complex under construction in downtown Los Angeles, sending up flames that were visible for miles while raining ash on a large area and snarling rush-hour traffic.

It was one of two destructive early morning fires in the city. The other heavily damaged a building that housed multiple businesses in a neighborhood a couple miles away.

More than 250 firefighters fought the downtown blaze that was sparked around 1:20 a.m. at a block-long building site, Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Ralph Terrazas said.

Flames consumed the seven-story, wood-framed structure and scorched adjacent high-rises before being brought under control within 90 minutes.

The radiant heat was strong enough to burst or crack windows in three nearby buildings that house city and county offices including the LA Department of Water and Power.

Three floors of one adjacent building were damaged by fire, and 14 other floors sustained water damage. That building was closed for the day.

Embers spewed from the fire landed across a freeway, igniting brush and charring a traffic sign. But fortunately winds were light and did not blow the fire even farther.

Portions of U.S. Route 101 and Interstate 110 were shut down for a time as burning debris fell into lanes. Commuter traffic slow-moving on good days remained jammed long after rush hour, with vehicles backed up for miles even after the freeways reopened.

No injuries were reported. The burned structure was planned to be a 1.3 million-square-foot residential building one of a series of very large complexes that have gone up in recent years. The site was still smoldering by late morning, and downtown was littered with ash.

Shortly after 4 a.m., another large fire was reported at a mixed-use building undergoing renovations about 2 miles to the west. More than 100 firefighters from multiple agencies responded and had the flames under control in less than two hours, according to Chief Deputy Mario D. Rueda.

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Crews douse 2 large fires in Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES (AP) A raging fire that may have been intentionally set Monday destroyed a massive apartment complex under construction in downtown Los Angeles, sending up flames that were visible for miles while raining ash on a large area and snarling rush-hour traffic.

It was one of two destructive early morning fires in the city. The other heavily damaged a building that houses multiple businesses in a neighborhood a couple miles away.

More than 250 firefighters fought the downtown blaze that was sparked around 1:20 a.m. at a block-long building site, Fire Department Chief Ralph Terrazas said.

Flames consumed the seven-story, wood-framed structure and scorched adjacent high-rises before being brought under control within 90 minutes.

By nightfall, arson investigators had yet to enter the unsafe structure, but fire officials said the fact that the fire erupted so quickly over so much of the building might point to arson. "It's very rare for the entire building to be engulfed at once," city fire Capt. Jaime Moore told the Los Angeles Times (http://lat.ms/1wu0xgF ). "There may have been foul play."

The fire caused an estimated $10 million in losses to the complex, Moore said.

Local and federal investigators planned to examine the debris, check surveillance video from nearby buildings and use special dogs that can detect fire accelerants.

The fire's radiant heat was strong enough to burst or crack windows in three nearby buildings that house city and county offices, including the city Department of Water and Power, which reported cracks in at least 160 of its 10-by-4-foot windows.

Three floors of one adjacent building were damaged by fire, and 14 other floors sustained water damage. That building was closed for the day.

Embers spewed from the fire landed across a freeway, stopping traffic, igniting brush and charring traffic signs.

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Fire destroys LA construction site, snarls traffic

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 8 (UPI) -- A massive fire gutted an apartment complex under construction in downtown Los Angeles early Monday and closed nearby highways.

About two-thirds of the 1.3 million-square-foot Da Vinci apartment building was destroyed, fire officials said. Two other buildings were damaged.

The Da Vinci was to be the latest in a complex of apartment buildings in the area. Its website promised "urban-style elegance and European living" with a full-size basketball court, a theater and other attractions.

About 250 firefighters were involved in getting the blaze under control after it was reported at about 1:30 a.m. Fire Chief Ralph Terrazas said most of the fire was out by 3 a.m., but firefighters continued to deal with hot spots.

"This is a historic fire, what we as firefighters would call 'a career fire,'" David Ortiz, a fire department spokesman, told NBC News. "It's huge. I really can't remember a building fire this big and I have been with the department for 13 years."

The heat was so intense that traffic signs on the 110 freeway were destroyed and a nearby building's facade was damaged by "radiant heat." The fire spread to an office tower.

"Large windows gave under the amount of heat," Jaime Moore, another department spokesman, told the Los Angeles Times. "There was active fire on three floors."

Terrazas said the cause of the fire was still unknown.

The 110 and 101 freeways were closed for about three hours. The northbound 110 was expected to reopen at about 8 a.m. local time.

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Massive fire in apartment tower under construction closes LA freeways

Fire engulfed a huge apartment complex under construction in downtown Los Angeles, closing a freeway and snarling traffic for morning commuters.

The blaze started at about 1:20 a.m. local time and drew more than 250 firefighters, said Peter Sanders, a Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman. The northbound 110 freeway reopened midmorning after earlier being closed while emergency vehicles used it as a staging ground. No injuries were reported. An arson investigation is under way, Mayor Eric Garcetti and Fire Chief Ralph Terrazas said today at an unrelated press conference.

The structure is Building A of the Da Vinci complex, which encompasses a city block and is being developed by G. H. Palmer Associates, owner Geoff Palmer said in an e-mail. Palmer, whose other downtown projects include the Medici, Lorenzo and Orsini developments, said an adjacent Building B is on schedule to open in January. He declined to comment further.

The building that burned, at 906 N. Fremont Ave., has more than 1.3 million square feet (120,800 square meters) of space, according to the fire departments Twitter feed.

To rebuild the property to completion may cost more than $150 million, based on similar developments in the area, according to Carlos Serra, a managing director at brokerage Jones Lang LaSalle Inc. (JLL)

Two neighboring buildings were also affected by the blaze. Windows blew out on some of the floors of a 16-story office building at 221 N. Figueroa St., which includes offices of the fire department and other city agencies, Sanders said.

Offices closed by the fire include the City of Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety, which issues construction permits. A building at 313 N. Figueroa sustained exterior damage on three floors, said Katherine Main, a fire department spokeswoman.

A hillside adjacent to the burned building was littered with ash and charred documents after the fire. The structure was reduced to a smoldering pile of wood, with metal stairwells remaining intact. The building, set to include amenities such as an indoor basketball court, library and theater, is one of at least three apartment developments Palmer has under construction downtown, according to the companys website.

Rents at other Palmer buildings downtown start at about $2,200 a month for a two-bedroom, two-bath apartment.

Palmers projects are part of a downtown development boom that includes more than 21,000 residential units and 3,780 hotel rooms planned or under construction. Many are financed by investors from China, Singapore and Korea, along with U.S. companies.

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Fire Engulfs L.A. Apartment Project, Closes Freeways

Los Angeles County firefighters battle a fire at an apartment building under construction next to the Harbor CA-110 Freeway in Los Angeles, early Monday, Dec. 8, 2014. The building was not occupied, the Los Angeles Fire Department reported. (AP Photo/Damian ... more >

By Christopher Weber - Associated Press - Monday, December 8, 2014

LOS ANGELES (AP) Two raging fires in Los Angeles destroyed a massive residential complex under construction, heavily damaged a building undergoing renovations, and snarled rush hour traffic while raining ash over a large area early Monday.

More than 250 firefighters fought a downtown blaze that was sparked at a block-long construction site around 1:20 a.m., Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Ralph Terrazas said. Flames visible for miles consumed the 7-story wood-framed structure and damaged two adjacent high-rises before being brought under control within 90 minutes.

The radiant heat was strong enough to burst windows in one building next door, Battalion Chief Joseph Castro said.

PHOTOS: Crews battle 2 large fires in Los Angeles

Three floors of that adjacent building were damaged by fire and several other floors sustained water damage. The building, which houses city offices, was closed for the day.

Embers spewed from the fire landed across a freeway, igniting brush and charring a traffic sign. But fortunately winds were light and did not blow the fire even farther.

Portions of U.S. Route 101 and Interstate 110 were shut down for a time over fears that debris might fall into lanes. The northbound 110 remained closed after sunrise, as commuter traffic backed up for miles.

No injuries were reported. The burned structure was planned to be a residential building. The site was still smoldering by midmorning and downtown was littered with ash.

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Los Angeles fires: Crews douse 2 large blazes at construction site

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) A fire destroyed a 7-story apartment building under construction and damaged two others early Monday morning in downtown.

The fire was reported around 1:20 a.m. at the 1.3-million-square-foot Da Vinci apartments, located at 906 N. Fremont Avenue, the Los Angeles Fire Department said.

More than 250 firefighters were dispatched to the scene, including crews from nearby Fire Station 3.

They literally opened the door to see an entire city block with fire showing, Cpt. Jamie Moore said.

Crews attacked the wood-burning fire, which could be seen from across the city, from the ground and the Harbor Freeway.

The collapse of scaffolding and the structures wooden frame forced the closure of northbound Harbor (110) Freeway to the northbound 101 Freeway until 10 a.m. The northbound 110 Freeway to the southbound 101 remained partially closed until further notice.

LISTEN TO KNX 1070 FOR TRAFFIC UPDATES

More than two-thirds of that occupancy was on fire causing significant exposure issues to two nearby high-rise buildings, LAFD Chief Ralph Terrazas said.

A 15-story Los Angeles County Health Department building, located at 313 Figueroa Street, suffered radiant heat damage, while a 16-story high-rise at 221 Figueroa Street had active fire on three floors of that building and sprinkler activation on six floors, Chief Terrazas said.

Authorities closed the 221 Figueroa building for business Monday and established a help line at 1-800-882-1482.

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Fire Destroys Apartment Building Under Construction In Downtown LA

Huge Los Angeles fire closes freeways An apartment complex in downtown Los Angeles caught fire early Monday morning and has shut down parts of two major freeways in the city, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The complex was reportedly under construction at the time of the fire.

Transition lanes between the 110 and 101 freeways have been shutdown, the state highway patrol told the LA Times.

The fire can be seen for miles in the LA area.

No injuries have been reported so far. It's not yet clear what started the fire. The fire broke out shortly before 1:30 a.m. Pacific time, KTLA reports.

More than 200 firefighters are on scene, according to the LA Times.

Damian Dovarganes/AP Los Angeles County firefighters battle a fire at an apartment building under construction next to the Harbor CA-110 Freeway in Los Angeles, early Monday, Dec. 8, 2014. The building was not occupied, the Los Angeles Fire Department reported. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

Here are some photos and videos of the fire:

Incredible shot of a fire at an under construction apartment complex in Los Angeles pic.twitter.com/UmmiDNYHaR

#BREAKING: Apartment fire in DTLA shuts down the NB 110 transition to the NB 101 Freeway... pic.twitter.com/3zox9x73op

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A Massive Apartment Fire In LA Has Shut Down 2 Major Freeways

Hundreds of firefighters battled to contain a huge fire at an under-construction apartment complex in downtown Los Angeles early Monday. Flames and smoke from the blaze dominated the city skyline and officials told commuters to brace for a messy morning as a section of the Harbor Freeway was closed in both directions.

"This is a historic fire, what we as firefighters would call 'a career fire,'" said David Ortiz, public information officer at the Los Angeles Fire Department. "It's huge. I really can't remember a building fire this big and I have been with the department for 13 years."

Ortiz said it was too early to tell what caused the fire but said the seven-story building looked certain to be "completely lost." Fueled by the half-finished building's exposed wooden framework, radiant heat caused fire to break out in two office buildings across the street, Ortiz said. Those were quickly extinguished and there were no reports of injuries, he added.

The city's Harbor Freeway was closed in both directions near the fire. Another major artery through the city, Hollywood Freeway, remained open but was suffering under the pressure of spillover traffic. "This will impact local traffic for hours," said Ortiz, speaking at 3 a.m. local time (6 a.m. ET). "The commute will be very difficult."

First published December 8 2014, 3:18 AM

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Huge Blaze Lights Up Los Angeles Skyline

Illustration: Matt Golding.

High-rise towers in inner Melbourne may be at risk of damage by fire and the residents could face other safety concerns,an audit of Victoria's building permit system found.

The audit revealed a pattern of poor compliance with regulations.

As fire authorities continue investigating the cause of a blaze at a 21-storey Docklands apartment building last month, The Sunday Age can reveal documents for hundreds of building permits checked by the state's construction watchdog were substandard, with many lacking key fire safety details.

Paperwork for 64 per cent of the commercial building permits audited lacked enough detail and drawings to tell if they met fire-resistance standards, leading the Victorian Building Authority to conclude the "buildings may be a risk to occupants in a fire situation".

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It could also potentially lead to "safety issues, particularly the safety of occupants in case of fire and the spread of fire within a building and between buildings".

The statewide audit examined 1000 permits from 20 different local government authorities and found 450 were missing information ranging from minor details to potentially alarming health and safety breaches.

The authority quizzed surveyors about the 450 substandard permits and found 95 per cent "posed no risk to health and safety," the authority's technical and regulation director Jarrod Edwards said.About 1 per cent with serious breaches needed enforcement action, he said.

But with 100,000 building permits issued in Victoria each year, thelack of compliance revealed by the audit sample suggests paperwork for as many as 2250 permits may harbour serious breaches, calling into question the effectiveness of fire safety and other building regulations.

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Fear over high-rise tower fire risk in Melbourne

Dec. 7, 2014, 12:15 a.m.

High-rise towers in inner Melbourne may be at risk of damage by fire and the residents could face other safety concerns, an audit of Victoria's building permit system found.

High-rise towers in inner Melbourne may be at risk of damage by fire and the residents could face other safety concerns,an audit of Victoria's building permit system found.

The audit revealed a pattern of poor compliance with regulations.

As fire authorities continue investigating the cause of a blaze at a 21-storey Docklands apartment building last month, The Sunday Age can reveal documents for hundreds of building permits checked by the state's construction watchdog were substandard, with many lacking key fire safety details.

Paperwork for 64 per cent of the commercial building permits audited lacked enough detail and drawings to tell if they met fire-resistance standards, leading the Victorian Building Authority to conclude the "buildings may be a risk to occupants in a fire situation".

It could also potentially lead to "safety issues, particularly the safety of occupants in case of fire and the spread of fire within a building and between buildings".

The statewide audit examined 1000 permits from 20 different local government authorities and found 450 were missing information ranging from minor details to potentially alarming health and safety breaches.

The authority quizzed surveyors about the 450 substandard permits and found 95 per cent "posed no risk to health and safety," the authority's technical and regulation director Jarrod Edwards said.About 1 per cent with serious breaches needed enforcement action, he said.

But with 100,000 building permits issued in Victoria each year, thelack of compliance revealed by the audit sample suggests paperwork for as many as 2250 permits may harbour serious breaches, calling into question the effectiveness of fire safety and other building regulations.

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Audit fans fire safety concerns in apartments