Jan. 30--PARAMOUNT, Calif. -- A two-alarm fire ripped through a commercial building in Paramount Monday morning, sending up a huge plume of smoke visible for several miles.
The fire was reported just before 8 a.m. Monday at a two-story structure in the 16200 block of South Orange Street, just south of Alondra.
The building housed two businesses -- a packaging company and an engraving company.
Fire officials said that the materials inside the building caused the flames to spread quickly.
More than 100 firefighters responded to the blaze.
Ladder crews doused the flames with hoses from the outside after part of the roof collapsed.
By about 8:30 a.m., ffirefighters had gained the upper-hand on the blaze, but the businesses were completely destroyed.
Two people were inside the building when the fire erupted, but they were able to get out safely.
The cause of the fire is now under investigation.
Copyright 2012 - KTLA-TV, Los Angeles
