Fire Tears Through Woodland Hills Strip Mall

WOODLAND HILLS, CA — Heavy fire engulfed a Woodland Hills strip mall overnight, collapsing the roof of the building and causing major damage to three other businesses.

Just after 3 a.m. Friday, the fire tore through the shopping center at the 4800 block of North Valley Circle Boulevard, just north of the Ventura (101) Freeway. Firefighters were called to the scene and arrived to find flames shooting through the roof of a store in the strip mall, according to Margaret Stewart of the Los Angeles Fire Department.

Investigators believe the blaze started with the pet food store Pet Food Express, and spread to a common attic shared by at least three other businesses and caused a partial collapse of the roof of the pet food business, Stewart said.

A total of 85 firefighters extinguished the bulk of the fire by about 4 a.m. but planned to remain at the scene to extinguish remaining hot spots, she said.

A portion of the front of the facade of the mall showed signs of structural compromise and firefighters blocked off that area, Stewart said.

No injuries were reported and the cause of the fire was under investigation.

Fazio Cleaners, which was badly damaged in the blaze, issued a statement letting customers know how they can find out about their possibly damaged clothes.

"The early morning fire at the El Camino Shopping Center in Woodland Hills caused extensive damage to Fazio Cleaners Woodland Hills' location and our customer's items," the company said in an emailed statement. "However, and most significantly, we are incredibly thankful that no one was injured in this incident and we are grateful to the courageous firefighters from the Los Angeles City Fire Department who quickly brought the fire under control and prevented it from spreading. Fazio Cleaners has been in business for 72 years, and we have a comprehensive safety program that includes regular inspections and rigorous protocols to promote safety. We appreciate the support of our neighbors and the community as we manage through this incident. While we are still assessing the loss of items, customers who would like to file a claim should contact our Calabasas store located a mile from our Woodland Hills location. The address is 4732 Commons Way, Calabasas."

City News Service