Spectacular blaze claims historic building in Hollywood

At 5:30 am, fire erupted in a building that houses the famous Basque Nightclub. More than 100 firefighters battled - and lost - the blaze. News reports say the flames shot 40 ft into the early morning sky. And by 7:30 am, firefighters were struggling to contain the fire to the building, which is very close to the Capital Records building and the Pantages Theater.

Basque Nightclubd'Lisa Davies, of the Los Angeles Fire Department, said the fire had reached the "major emergency stage" and traffic in the area was shut down.

"We are holding check in the involved structure," said Fire Battalion Chief Michael Bowman. But it's an old building and they're fighting the fire in tight spaces. At first glance, it looks like the blaze started in the attic.

Basque, which sits on the northwest corner of HollywoodLindsay Lohan and Vine has had a revolving door of owners over the years, but celebrities love it. Lindsay Lohan held her birthday bash here and Kayne West has crooned on stage.

And more than a few movies have been filmed here, including Ocean's Eleven. Unfortunately, if you were planning on visiting during your next trip to Hollywood, you're out of luck now.

Have you been to the Basque?