Old Courthouse Building in Glassell Park Destroyed by Fire

Flames destroyed a former courthouse building in the Glassell Park area of Los Angeles Saturday.

The fire was first reported at 5:55 p.m. Saturday at 1158 N. San Fernando Road, just east of the Los Angeles River, according to the Los Angeles fire Department's Margaret Stewart.

The fire at the 20,000-square-feet structure grew to Major Emergency status at 6:16 p.m., with more than 100 firefighters taking up defensive positions outside the building to prevent flames from spreading elsewhere, Stewart said.

The flames were out at 6:37 p.m. but the building was deemed structurally unstable and LAFD heavy equipment operators were summoned to make sure the building was torn down safely, she said. The process of tearing down the building and putting out flare-ups was expected to take all night.

No injuries were reported and a two-story building next to the destroyed courthouse was protected from damage, Stewart said.

Per protocol, arson investigators were sent to the scene.