Large downtown Los Angeles building fire disrupts Metro rail service

Fire crews worked for over two hours Monday morning, battling a stubborn, massive building fire in downtown Los Angeles that disrupted Metro rail service.

According to Metro, because the building fire on Flower Street near Venice Boulevard was near the tracks, bus shuttles are replacing A and E Line service.

The fire broke out in the vacant two-story building around 4 a.m. and Los Angeles Fire Department crews arrived as flames ripped through the roof.  Crews worked in defensive mode, protecting neighboring buildings from the fire.

LAFD said it took 80 firefighters two hours and 33 minutes to put out the blaze. While there were no injuries reported, crews said there were possibly homeless people living inside.

Metro reported Monday morning that there is no A Line service between 7th/Metro and Grand/LATTC; and no E Line service between 7th/Metro and LATTC/Ortho.