A Dec. 8 fire that destroyed a downtown Los Angeles apartment complex under construction and damaged nearby buildings was the result of arson, the city's Fire Department determined, according to CNN.

Nobody was hurt in the fire that had to be battled by 250 firefighters and caused the 110 and 101 freeways to be temporarily shut down.

"Investigators recovered sufficient evidence to eliminate all known potential accidental causes and determine the fire was intentionally set," officials said Thursday in a statement. "The fire caused an estimated $20 million to $30 million in damage to the DaVinci Apartments. Total damage estimates to nearby businesses and Caltrans property remain undetermined at this time."

Fire officials say two individuals they call "persons of interest" are seen in video footage recorded before the blaze started in the early morning hours. Officials are now focused on finding and interviewing the two individuals seen in the video footage. The Los Angeles Fire Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are leading the investigation.

"The work at the crime scene is finished; however, our investigation is not over," Special Agent in Charge Carlos A. Canino said. "(The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives) will continue to work together with our state and local partners to investigate this crime and bring those responsible to justice."

An unnamed source, who was "familiar with the investigation," said an accelerant was found at the scene.

Fire officials have called the blaze, which lit up the Los Angeles skyline, "historic" and "a career fire." The heat was so intense that it blew out the windows of nearby buildings and set off sprinklers in the offices of the city's Department of Aging, the Huffington Post reported. The incident also ruined 2,000 holiday gift bags filled with items such as socks, toiletries and blankets that were meant to be distributed to senior citizens.

Authorities looked through 75,000 square feet of debris in their attempt to determine the fire's cause.

Related