LOS ANGELES _ An explosion in downtown Los Angeles on Saturday caused a large fire that left 11 firefighters injured, authorities said.
Firefighters first received a call about 6:30 p.m. about a structure fire in Little Tokyo, said Erik Scott, a spokesman for the Los Angeles Fire Department.
While firefighters were inside attempting to find the source of the blaze, there was "a significant explosion, very high, very wide, rumbling the entire area," Scott said. The explosion was so powerful that it blackened a fire engine parked across the street, he said.
Eleven firefighters were receiving treatment for burn injuries, Scott said. Some of the injured were take to County-USC Medical Center.
More than 240 firefighters responded to the blaze before it was extinguished shortly after 8 p.m., he said. An initial investigation of the scene identified the business as Smoke Tokes, a warehouse distributor with supplies for butane honey oil, he said. The cause of the fire has not been determined.
Jeralyn Cleveland was celebrating a family birthday party on the roof of the 13-story apartment building she manages three blocks away when she saw the explosion.
"Everyone in my building thought there was a bomb that went off," said Cleveland, 37. "It was like a mushroom."
Cleveland said there are small fires all the time in the neighborhood, which borders skid row, but she had never seen anything like this before.
After the explosion, bits of paper, like charred confetti, rained down on the neighborhood, according to some witnesses. The streets were full of onlookers who were pushed back by police and firefighters.
The storefronts of several nearby businesses were blackened. The area is known for its variety of smoke shops.
"Firefighters made entry to chase the seat of the fire, when a significant explosion occurred. A MAYDAY was put out over the radio and multiple firefighters were found with significant injuries. Additional units were added," the LAFD said.
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said on Twitter that "My thoughts are with our brave LAFD firefighters" and that he is "Closely tracking this situation."
