Smoke and flames were visible for miles across the valley as a commercial building in Warner Center burned Sunday night.
The building, the former Sky High Sports trampoline gym at 6033 DeSoto Avenue, had been vacant for months and was covered with graffiti.
According to LAFD, the fire was first reported around 9 pm. More than 80 firefighters worked to extinguish the blaze and contain it to the one building, which sits among other structures, including a storage unit, on DeSoto.
According to an eyewitness, after the fire a 20 to 21 year old man wearing an LAFD t-shirt, showed photographs of fireworks being set off inside the building by three juveniles who were “doing it for fun.” No official personnel remained at the scene so the witness reported the individual and what he had said to an LAFD Captain.
According to Property Shark, the building on 1.47 acres was owned by real estate agent Mahmoud Malakfzali, who sold the property in 2021 for $11,400,000. In 2020 the property was approved for demolition of the 32,000 square-foot building for a 196,000 square-foot senior housing facility.
