Eleven (11) firefighters injured from fire in a commercial smoke shop in Los Angeles sparked a major explosion and spread to nearby structures

Los Angeles Fire Department chief Ralph Terrazas told reporters that eleven firefighters were injured, three of them seriously, in downtown Los Angeles, when a fire in a commercial smoke shop caused a massive explosion and spread to surrounding buildings on Saturday night.

Terrazas said that the crews had reached the building to battle what was originally believed to be a mild blaze until they realized that the smoke level was rising and decided to evacuate.

He said the explosion happened as the firefighters entered the building from the roof and the ground floor.

A witness account is that our firefighters came down the aerial ladder from the roof with their turnout coats on fire, Terrazas said.

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said three firefighters had critical but not life-threatening injuries and another had serious injuries, while the remainder had varying degrees of burns.

Garcetti said the good news is that everybody will make it as there are no symptoms of blast injuries but there’s potential evidence of chemical inhalation.

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Terrazas said firefighters saw butane canisters inside the building and outside on the street but it was unclear what caused the blaze.

Everything is under investigation by our arson team, all I can say at this point is that the cause is under investigation, he said.

Some 230 responders battled the blaze as it spread to other buildings in the area before it was extinguished around two hours after it began.

Fire officials said the building where the explosion happened housed a business named Smoke Totes Wholesale Supply that distributed smoke and paraphernalia and supplied other businesses that manufactured butane honey oil, a highly flammable substance used to inhale marijuana.

Several storefronts in the area were blackened by the explosion, while one fire engine had a scorched roof and was littered in rubble. Thick smoke from the lightning was evident from miles out.