Fire in old courthouse near Dodger Stadium extinguished after smoke alarms fans
A structure fire on the border of Glassell Park and Cypress Park sent thick gray plumes of smoke rising over Dodger Stadium Saturday evening, alarming some fans who were there to watch the Dodgers face off against the Colorado Rockies.
The Los Angeles Fire Department dispatched 16 fire companies who fought the blaze for 42 minutes before it was extinguished at 6:37 p.m., according to spokeswoman Margaret Stewart. More than 100 firefighters participated in the effort, she said, and no one was injured.
Asked about the cause of the fire, Stewart said, “Arson is on-scene for the investigation, per protocol” for major fire emergencies.
The fire destroyed a 100-by-200-foot, single-story former courthouse-turned-commercial building at 1158 N. San Fernando Road, according to an LAFD statement. A nearby two-story building “was defended from damage by crews,” the statement said.
Some baseball fans shared nervous social media posts from inside Dodger Stadium.
"This thing is growing by the minute," one person shared on X, along with a photo looking out over the stadium toward the smoke.
This thing is growing by the minute #dodgers #fire pic.twitter.com/uVkaQsoS07
— Beth Harris (@bethharrisap) September 22, 2024
"Uh ... there's a major smoke situation just outside Dodger Stadium," wrote another.
Uh… there’s a major smoke situation just outside Dodger Stadium… pic.twitter.com/YYCQKApPUF
— Sam B (@SammieB_27) September 22, 2024
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.