Los Angeles

Public's Help Sought to Find 2 Possible Witnesses to DTLA Fire

One of the surveillance videos shows a man walking near the burned-down building and grabbing onto a fence before firefighters pull him away

Authorities sought the public's help Monday to find two men who may be witnesses to last week's massive fire at an apartment complex that was under construction in downtown Los Angeles.

Surveillance video captured Dec. 8 shows a man walking near the burned-down building and grabbing onto a fence before firefighters pull him away. A second video shows another man with a backpack walking down a sidewalk.

The men are not considered suspects or persons of interest. Investigators say they were "in the area of the fire, and merely wish to interview them."

The under-construction complex ignited early Dec. 8 and burned fiercely, the structure collapsing onto the concrete below. Flames billowed into the air, making smoke visible for miles and shutting down freeways.

The fire radiated enough heat to shatter the windows of nearby office towers, reaching inside to melt computers onto desks. The LADWP building had cracks in at least 160 of its 10-by-4-foot windows.

LAFD Fire Chief Ralph Terrazas said last week the investigation, which could take weeks or months, is not being treated as a criminal investigation, but officials are "have not ruled anything out yet."

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms pledged last week that it "will leave no stone unturned" as authorities look into what caused the fire.

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