A fire at a battery storage facility in South Los Angeles turned into a tough battle for crews early Sunday morning.

According to the Los Angeles Fire Department, the blaze was reported at 4:33 a.m. at 16208 South Vermont Street, adjacent to the border between L.A. and the city of Gardena.

The LAFD initially entered a defensive firefighting mode due to large battery storage and a subterranean electrical vault in the building.

Large amounts of the battery storage was burning off as of 9 a.m., creating an issue for firefighters and the nearby community, the LAFD said. Hazmat specialists were on site as of 8 a.m. to monitor the air quality and water runoff.

The L.A. Department of Water and Power was on-scene working to de-energize the structure.

As of 9 a.m., no evacuations have been ord

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