One person found dead after fire ravages Koreatown office building

Firefighters inspect the damage from a fire Thursday at an office building in Koreatown. | Photo courtesy of LAFD

One person was found dead following a fire that scorched a five-story office building in the Koreatown area of Los Angeles Thursday.

The fire was reported just before 3:20 p.m. on the second floor of the office building at 611 S. Catalina St., near Robert F. Kennedy Community Schools, according to Margaret Stewart of the Los Angeles Fire Department.

The building was evacuated as firefighters accessed and doused the fire that had originated in two units on the second floor. Knockdown of the fire was officially called at 3:53 p.m.

Firefighters conducted a search of the building, which was made difficult due to excessive storage, and found the victim behind debris and file cabinets, Stewart said.

The victim was pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities said the victim would be identified after relatives are notified. The exact manner of death was not known.

The cause of the fire was under investigation.

Keep Up to Date with the Most Important News

By pressing the Subscribe button, you confirm that you have read and are agreeing to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use