On Tuesday, August 11, 2009 at 5:15 AM, 20 Companies of Los Angeles Firefighters, 4 LAFD Rescue Ambulances, 1 Arson Unit, 2 Urban Search and Rescue Units, 2 Rehab Units, 1 Hazardous Materials Team, 2 EMS Battalion Captains, 3 Battalion Chief Officer Command Teams and 1 Division Chief Officer Command Team, a total of 135 Los Angeles Firefighters, as well as one civilian CERT Coordinator under the command of Deputy Fire Chief Mario Rueda responded to a Major Emergency Structure Fire at 11925 Santa Monica Boulevard in West Los Angeles.

Firefighters arrived quickly to discover heavy smoke showing from the upstairs rear of a modern two-story 'L' shaped 'strip mall' of commercial businesses.

With fire suddenly through the roof, firefighters used power and hand tools to force entry into the smoke-charged businesses. Fire teams found intensly entrenched flames in the recesses of a first floor restaurant, extending through a massage and skin care firm above.

With the expertise of firefighters performing vertical ventilation, the horizontal spread of the fire was soon stemmed, as firefighters fought the stubborn blaze on two floors beneath them.

Despite structural compromise and seemingly unyielding fire, the flames were confined to the structure of origin and extinguished in just 53 minutes.

There were no injuries.

Though not in imminent peril, two occupants of an adjacent building to the east were found to have been sleeping in their business. Awakened by firefighters, they were safely escorted from the scene.

Loss to the heavily damaged Yekta Restaurant and Wat Po Thai Spa Massage above, as well as the adjacent El Super Taco and Monte Alban Restaurant, is still being tabulated.

The cause of this pre-dawn blaze remains under active investigation.

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Submitted by Brian Humphrey and Devin Gales, Spokesmen
Los Angeles Fire Department