DOWNEY (CNS) - Fire authorities said Thursday an abandoned building at the historic Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center in Downey was heavily damaged by a massive fire that burned for several hours.

Doug Ulibarri, a spokesperson for Downey Fire Department, told various news outlets that his department had received several calls regarding a large-scale fire at the abandoned Poor Farm building in the southern portion of the rehabilitation center and firefighters were unable to enter the structure during the first hours of the blaze.

"At this time no injuries have been reported to any civilian or firefighters," tweeted Ulibarri, who confirmed that the blaze was a two-alarm fire.

Downey Fire Department firefighters were called about 6:17 p.m. Wednesday to the 12000 block of Erickson Avenue after the fire broke out in an abandoned building, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Firefighters from at least five fire departments battled heavy flames coming from the building's roof and were forced to employ defensive measures as they fought to control the fire.

Fire crews from  Downey, Los Angeles County, Montebello, La Habra Heights and Compton fire departments were able to get control of the raging blaze just after 9 p.m. Wednesday, according to Fourth District County Supervisor Janice Hahn.

"The fire in an abandoned building at Rancho Los Amigos South Campus is under control thanks to the swift action of both the Downey Fire Department and @LACOFD," the supervisor tweeted.

The cause of the fire was not immediately known.

Fire crews were expected to be on scene into Thursday morning.

Jeremy Stafford, a dispatch supervisor with the Los Angeles County Fire Department, said his agency got the call for assistance at 6:31 p.m. Wednesday and confirmed the incident was a second-alarm fire, the Times reported.

The Rancho Los Amigos campus opened in 1887 when indigent patients from Los Angeles County Hospital were relocated and was known then as the Los Angeles County Poor Farm. It is the second largest municipal health system in the nation, according to its website.