Two people were hospitalized with serious injuries after a fire broke out overnight at a construction site in the Central-Alameda neighborhood of South Los Angeles.
The fire at a multi-family residential building construction site was first reported just before 3:30 a.m. in the 1500 block of East Vernon Street. Two people, a 66-year-old man and 64-year-old woman, were hospitalized with serious burn injuries.
A 30-year-old man was checked out by firefighter-paramedics at the scene.
At least 17 people living near the fire site had to be evacuated. Although fire officials did not have the exact number of evacuees, they said people would be able to return to their homes soon.
"Someone climbed on top of our garage and banged on our window to wake us up," one neighbor said. "We grabbed our dogs and came out here."