Towering flames destroyed a landscape design center in Baldwin Hills Friday evening, but thankfully caused no injury.

ll for additional personnel brought the first of more than one hundred additional LAFD responders, as well as five personnel in automatic aid from the nearby Culver City Fire Department With a massive volume of fire evident, multiple hoselines were extended as the ca

As forcible entry was made into the well secured business of fire origin, LAFD Battalion Chief Stacy Taylor ordered those in her command to maintain a defensive posture outside the structure to protect an adjoining business and strictly limit fire spread, as signs of structural fatigue quickly became evident in the 63 year-old building.

Just 12 minutes after the first calls reporting the fire were made to 9-1-1, the structure's canopy began to give way, with full collapse of the roof just 3 minutes thereafter.

The 140 firefighters at scene, including 135 from the LAFD, held flames within the building of fire origin, fully extinguishing the blaze in just 68 minutes. Thanks to firefighter's efforts, the adjoining Castelli Art Framing to the west had only limited damage from smoke, heat and water, and was largely unscathed.

Most importantly, no injuries were reported.

Fire loss to Inner Gardens is still being tabulated. The cause of the major emergency blaze remains under active investigation.