Before the rain storm drenched California, part of it went up in flames.

Two Los Angeles fires burned the 1.3 million-square-foot Da Vinci apartment complex early December 8. The apartments stood between Temple Street and Fremont Avenue.

The downtown fire began around 1:20 A.M. A second fire arose three hours later two miles to the west (CS Monitor).

Over 350 firefighters battled the combined fires. The majority of the fire subsided under 90 minutes of water thanks to their combined efforts (Fox News).

The Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman spoke to NBC News about the severity of the fires. “This is a historic fire: what we as firefighters would call ‘a career fire,’” Ortiz said. “I really can’t remember a building fire this big and I have been with the department for 13 years.”

The fires caused fluctuating traffic, shutting down parts of Interstate 110 and U.S. Route 101 in fear of falling debris affecting the freeway. Heat spread and melted street signs and burst windows from neighboring buildings. No serious injuries were reported, but one person was treated for minor smoke inhalation (Fox News).

Before the fire, the Da Vinci complex planned to contain a full-sized basketball court, pool, library and stand seven-stories tall. After the fire, the apartment damages added up to an estimated $150 million (StarTribune).

According to L.A. Times, the police department believed the fire was set by a criminal, but no one found evidence supporting the cause. Two dozen investigators are on the case.