A commercial office building in Downey is destroyed after a massive fire ripped through it early Thursday morning.
The building's owner told NBC4's Ted Chen that the structure is a "total loss." Firefighters were able to remove two computers in the hopes of salvaging them, but little else appears savable.
The structure was home to the offices of a chiropractor, a few accountants and a real estate agency among others.
The fire, which might have been caused by a gas leak, was reported just after 2 a.m. at the 10000 block of Paramount Boulevard, Battalion Chief Bruce English said. Firefighters reported a partial roof collapse during the attack.
When units arrived on scene, they had a "fully involved north side of the structure with fire through the roof," English said. "We had units go into the structure and had an aggressive firefighter attack."
Firefighters were evacuated from inside the structure when the roof and interior structure of the building were close to collapsing, officials said.
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The cause was being investigated by arson investigators on scene, English said. No injuries were reported as a result of the fire.
Neighbors told NBC4's Adrian Arambulo and Ted Chen that they heard a loud explosion prior to the start of the fire.
Because the cause of the fire may be gas-related, all gas in the area has been shut off.
A SigAlert was issued for Paramount Boulevard between 5th Street and 6th Street for an undetermined time.
There is no estimate on the total amount of damage yet.
