Los Angeles Fire Department

Firefighters Battle Blaze at Westlake Building

Firefighters battled a blaze on the top floor of a five-story building in the Westlake District on Tuesday night, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.

Aerial footage showed firefighters rescuing people trapped inside the commerical building - a husband and wife.

Several other people managed to escape the flames by evacuating.

"When we got to the hallway, it was pitch black and smoke. We booked it out as fast as we could," said Lorie Work, a business owner.

The fire in the 1500 block of W. Olympic Boulevard was reported at 7:45 p.m.

Aerial footage showed flames erupting from the top floor of one corner of the building, which was initially reported to be a six-story apartment building.

Records show the building, built in the 1960s with no fire sprinklers, was occupied by several businesses.

More than 170 firefighters fought the flames. One firefighter was taken to the hospital with minor injuries.

The cause of the fire was still unclear Wednesday morning.

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