LOS ANGELES, California — Terrorism is not yet being ruled out as a possible cause behind the massive conflagration that rendered downtown Los Angeles’s up-and-coming Da Vinci complex a total loss.
“At this point nothing is [being] ruled out,” special agent Carlos Canino of the ATF [Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives] told Breitbart News.
On Wednesday, the Los Angeles Fire Department held a joint press conference with the ATF to announce that the ATF has enlisted the services of its National Response Team to assist with the investigation into the historic inferno, which set social media ablaze with apocalyptic images.
Following the conference, LAFD Captain Jaime Moore conducted a conference completely in Spanish which was broadcast to several primarily Spanish-speaking networks such as Telemundo.
The last time the ATF joined an investigation was in October when a storage facility in Venice went up in flames, LAFD Public Information Officer David Oritz told Breitbart.
The latest fire began around 1:20 am on Monday. Approximately three hours later, another fire broke out on the 2800 block of West 7th Street (Koreatown). However, law enforcement officials told Breitbart News they doubt the two incidents are related.
The conflagration has not yet been deemed an arson (an incendiary fire), although there is much speculation pointing in that direction.
“Right now it’s a fire scene investigation,” Canino told Breitbart News. He noted that some of the clues the ATF looks for when investigating are remnants of gas cans in the midst of all the rubble and pour patterns indicating where liquid retardant may have been placed.
Ironically, the Da Vinci complex was deemed to be “the most inspected building in the history of mankind,” according to Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety spokesman Luke Zamperini. The seven-story structure would have consisted of five floors of residential units, with the first two floors being occupied for commercial use.
Joining the ATF’s team of approximately 20 agents and specialists who will be working with LAFD arson investigators, LAPD personnel, and local ATF agents who are already involved in the case, will be LAFD Investigator Frank Ogelsby and his canine companion Frank–a sleek, black chocolate lab.
Having Frank and Major working on this investigation is “like having Derek Jeter on your team,” Canino said as he lionized the scrupulous duo.
Follow Adelle Nazarian on Twitter @AdelleNaz
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