A massive fire at a Venice storage complex that injured eight firefighters has drawn an investigative team with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, officials said Tuesday.
Investigators said it is still too early to tell if the blaze at the Extra Space Storage facility at 658 Venice Blvd. was the result of arson, but they are looking at the fire as if it was intentionally set. A K-9 unit combed through the property, looking for signs that the fire may have been fed by accelerants.
The entire complex - more than 500 units - is being treated as a crime scene, so customers are still unable to get to their storage units.
Scotty Todd, an artist, has been waiting for days to get to his storage unit where he keeps music recordings and computers.
"It's a body of work that I created over the years," Todd said. "It's like my children."
Los Angeles Fire Department officials asked the ATF for assistance because of the size of the fire, which burned for more than 15 hours.
"It's a safe house," said Capt. Jaime Moore, a LAFD spokesman. "People trust that when they put their belongings in there, they're going to be protected."
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The fire broke out Saturday night, and firefighters said the steel roof, the limited ventilation and the lack of sprinklers all made this fire extremely hot - with temperatures at points reaching 1,200 degrees. It was difficult for the more than 300 firefighters to access much of the building.
"I was talking to a veteran firefighter and he said buildings like these are fireman killers," Carlos Canino, special agent in charge with the ATF, said Tuesday.
Canino said investigators were thankful all the injured firefighters are now in good condition.
