Three firefighters were injured early Sunday morning while battling a fire that engulfed a historic church in South Los Angeles, officials said.
More than 100 firefighters responded to the major emergency fire at Victory Baptist Church at 4802 S. Mckinley Ave. for one hour and 40 minutes.
One firefighter suffered moderate injuries and two others sustained minor injuries; two of them were transported to a hospital while the other was treated at the scene, an LAFD spokesperson said.
The fire was reported at 2:22 a.m.
Firefighters ended the offensive battle and took up defensive positions outside the building after the interior structure collapsed, trapping multiple firefighters, he said.
The defensive fight was aimed at putting out the flames and protecting structures near the burning building, which was constructed more than 100 years ago.