A massive, multi-alarm fire tore through an apartment complex in Beverly Hills on Wednesday morning, leading to a partial roof collapse and prompting street closures and a precautionary shelter-in-place order at a nearby school.
The blaze erupted around 10:30 a.m. in the 200 block of South Rexford Drive. Firefighters arrived to find a significant portion of the three-story building engulfed in flames. The intensity of the fire caused severe structural damage, resulting in the roof caving in.
Fire officials stated that as firefighters worked to combat the flames, the roof began to collapse. Crews then retreated from the interior and began a defensive strategy, utilizing aerial ladder trucks to direct high-volume water streams onto the fire from above.
South Rexford Drive was shut down between Charleville Boulevard and Gregory Way to allow emergency crews to operate. Residents in adjacent buildings were evacuated. Students and staff at Beverly Vista Middle School, located across the street, were placed under a precautionary shelter-in-place order during the incident.
No injuries have been reported, according to a statement from the City of Beverly Hills.