A still-under construction luxury apartment complex in LA by the intersection of the 101 and 110 freeways is burning in Los Angeles, damaging surrounding buildings and temporarily closing down freeways. The full-block complex, called the DaVinci, is still smoldering, but firefighters have it under control.
The 110 North remains closed, but the 101 and 110 South were re-opened at 4:30 am. Incredibly, nobody appears to have been injured in the blaze.
The scale of the fire was massive; the lower stories of the apartment complex were concrete, but the upper floors were still just bare wood framing, and burned exactly like you'd think a bunch of bare wood would burn. The heat from the fire, which started at about 1:30 am, caused windows to be shattered and other damage to adjoining buildings along Figueroa Street, but firefighters were able to keep the fire itself from spreading.
Heat from the fire burned freeway signs and melted plastic bumps and cat-eyes embedded in the roadway. Firefighters are concerned about construction scaffolding collapsing into the road. The cause of the fire is not yet known.
Pictures from the downtown LA this morning look like a portal of hell opened up and started spewing columns of flame into the air, which is unusual even for LA. Usually portals to hell are only found in expensive condos on the Westside.
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The Da Vinci apartments are one of a number of large, luxury apartment complexes opening around downtown. The DaVinci's website claims occupancy for early 2015, which may no longer be accurate.
Photos via CHP LA