Fire damages 2 Los Angeles apartment buildings

Dozens of people fled two apartment buildings in Los Angeles early Monday when a vacant house was engulfed in fire and flames began to spread, authorities said.

The fire erupted shortly after 1 a.m. and engulfed a two-story house in the Westlake district northwest of downtown.

Fire spread to the apartment buildings on either side, Los Angeles Fire Department spokesperson Nicholas Prange said in a statement.

It took firefighters more than an hour to extinguish flames in all three buildings.

One person was treated for smoke inhalation, Prange said.

It was not immediately clear how many apartment units were damaged and how many people would be displaced. The American Red Cross was assisting.