A fire was burning through the roof of an empty, two-story theater in Hollywood on Wednesday morning, as firefighters worked to contain the flames.
Newschopper4 was over the blaze, which filled the air with billowing smoke as firefighters sprayed hoses onto the roof. A tall crane with a hose attached could also be seen spraying water from above the building to douse the fire.
Firefighters from the Los Angeles Fire Department were focused on stopping the fire from spreading from the theater, located at 1435 N Las Palmas Avenue, to surrounding buildings in the dense downtown area.
Get Southern California news, weather forecasts and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC LA newsletters.
The fire began just before 9 a.m., and by 10 a.m. had turned into a greater alarm fire, according to the LAFD.
The firefighters who initially arrived saw heavy smoke coming from the building, and shortly after they tried to enter, the fire broke through the roof.
Firefighters moved to the outside of the building, since there were no other people in the building and "set up hose lines on adjacent roofs, and ladder pipes, focusing on protecting the surrounding properties," according to the LAFD.
By 10 a.m., there was a partial collapse of the building. Crews working at the scene were aware and taking precautions.
Surrounding buildings included a hotel and an apartment building, which officials at a press conference said were evacuated as a precaution.
Officials said no one was injured in the fire.
The fire was contained by just before 11 a.m., but a residual fire producing smoke was expected to linger for a few more hours, officials said.
The theater was built in 1905, and is over 9,000 square feet in size. Exterior walls were severely damaged and buckling after the fire. A "collapse zone" was established by the LAFD as a precaution.
There was no damage to the adjacent buildings, officials said.
The cause of the fire is not yet known. One person was detained for questioning about the fire, and the arson team on the LAFD is investigating with the Los Angeles Police Department.
