Four-alarm blaze ignites buildings in Alhambra

A four-alarm fire torched several buildings near 3rd and Main Tuesday night.
The cause of the blaze was unknown. Several residences and business were without power when the fire broke out.

The blaze apparently started in a condo or apartment complex that is under construction at 101 North 3rd Street. Several other buildings appeared to catch fire as well.

The building is a three-story structure that has been under construction for several months, according to John Kabala, assistant Alhambra Fire Chief. The building was a total loss, Kabala said.
Firefighters from Alhambra, South Pasadena, San Marino, Arcadia, Monterey Park, Glendale, Pasadena and Los Angeles County responded to the three-alarm blaze, officials said. The amount of damage caused by the blaze was unknown. Nine fire companies responded to the blaze, Kabala said. There were no injuries or fatalities, Kabala said.

A senior center next to the complex was evacuated. One woman was treated at the scene for smoke inhalation, Alhambra Fire Chief Bruce Stedman said.
An apartment building to the south was also damaged. Two other buildings suffered minor damage

“This fire went excellent for what the firefighters were faced with,” Stedman said.
Cars parked nearby suffered damage as well.
“There was an extreme amount of heat coming off this structure,” he said.

The Los Angeles County Fire Department says the blaze was reported at about 10:45 p.m. Tuesday on Main Street in Alhambra near South Pasadena.
A public information officer was dispatched to the scene at 11:40 a.m.
A security guard at the building was reportedly missing late Tuesday night. The missing guard was not identified.

Story and Photos by San Gabriel Valley Tribune