KTLA

Crews extinguish structure fire in Van Nuys

Crews put out a structure fire in Van Nuys Friday evening.

Sky5 was above the blaze, which was dubbed the Haskell Fire, around 7:55 p.m., as heavy smoke could be seen billowing over the row of commercial businesses in the area of Haskell Avenue and Strathern Street.


A total of 96 fire personnel worked to put out the greater alarm fire, in an “active offensive battle” against heavy flames in a few of the centrally located businesses, the Los Angeles Fire Department said.

Twenty minutes after the first crews arrived, there was structural compromise reported in the roof of two of the centrally located units. This led crews to adopt a “hybrid defensive tactic,” according to LAFD.

The building reportedly had no attic, LAFD said.

The fire was out by 8 p.m. and there were no injuries reported.

The 12 one-story units on the 25,907 square-foot row of commercial occupancies was built in 1957, the department said, adding that all the businesses appeared to be closed at the time of the blaze.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.