Los Angeles Blaze Halts Traffic On Freeway, Arson Suspected

A huge fire in an under construction apartment in downtown Los Angeles,  may have been arson say authorities. The blaze caused the closure of two major freeways  of the city, Monday.

The blaze at  909 West Temple Street, which also damaged two nearby buildings, required around 250 firemen to douse the flames, according to the fire department, reports the Los Angeles Times.

The seven-story residential building with a shopping mall on the ground floor is situated where the two closed freeways connect with one another. The 101 Freeway had to be shut down in both directions, as were the ramps connecting it with 110, according to Los Angeles police.

The fire broke out around 1:20 a.m. (local time), Monday, and the flames could be seen from miles away.

Fires this size are always investigated as suspect and authorities are sure that this one was set  deliberately indicating arson, reports Reuters.

Fire official Capt. Jaime Moore said that it was "very rare" for an entire building to become completely engulfed in flames so quickly, which points to foul play. Authorities also brought in sniffer dogs to look for accelerants.

The fire spread quickly over 1.3 million square feet (121,000 sq meters) of space.