Chaos erupted in Koreatown on Wednesday evening when a fire broke out in a 3-story apartment building, resulting in dozens of residents being evacuated. The blaze began at approximately 08:11 pm at 235 S Berendo St, with initial reports detailing flames emanating from one of the units on the second floor, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.

LAFD Alert-KNOCKDOWN #Koreatown Structure Fire 235 S Berendo St MAP: https://t.co/CdWs3aEGd1 FS6; DETAILS: 15 minute knockdown; one unit affected, no injuries. https://t.co/V3ThgAdgMC

— LAFD 🔥 (@LAFD) May 9, 2024

The Los Angeles Fire Department's diligent efforts quickly paid off as they managed to knock down the fire in just 15 minutes, with no reported injuries. Entailing 57 firefighters to put the aggressive flames to rest, the fire was contained to a single unit in the building that has been standing since 1927, this, as per the LAFD knockdown notice. Surrounding apartments were shielded from extension due to the building's design and the rapid response of the fire crews.

All residents of the 24-unit apartment complex were evacuated as a precaution, though initially they were told to shelter in place until the situation could be assessed and contained. The incident led to the closure of Berendo Street and 3rd Street around the vicinity of the fire scene, adding to the disruptions experienced by local traffic.