By Nolan Feeney
The massive Los Angeles fire that burned a large apartment tower will be investigated as a criminal fire, authorities said Monday.
“There may have been some foul play,” Capt. Jaime Moore told the Los Angeles Times, noting that while fires this size are always treated as criminal, it’s highly unusual for a building to go up in a blaze all at once.
Dogs trained to identify chemical accelerants in cases of arson were present at the scene. Arson investigators are looking into the building and its financial records.
The fire occurred at the DaVinci apartment complex around 1:20 a.m. PT on Monday. Flames were visible for miles around and forced the closure of nearby freeways and roads.
See the Crazy Fire That Engulfed Downtown Los Angeles
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Write to Nolan Feeney at nolan.feeney@time.com