Los Angeles police officers, as well as bomb squad specialists, were at the scene in the 6100 block of Canoga Avenue, authorities said. Earlier, a blaze had broken out there.

"We responded to a structure fire, and we're trying to determine what caused that fire," Officer Karen Rayner told The Times.

"A suspicious device" was found on the second floor of the apartment building, the Los Angeles Fire Department said.

Rayner said officers were trying to determine whether the device was a pipe bomb.

No other details were immediately available.

[Updated, 11:08 p.m.: The device was not explosive, the Fire Department said.]

ALSO:

Federal funds for health testing at beaches to be eliminated

I-10 foul-up that caused five-hour jam ends in job reassignments

Architect who designed and built home charged in firefighter’s death

— Robert J. Lopez

twitter.com/LAJourno

Photo: Police at the evacuation scene. Credit: LAPD

Photo: Bill Hutchison pushes his shopping cart to the car at the Super Target store off Main Street in Hesperia. Credit: Mark Boster/Los Angeles Times

Motorists gave mixed reports on Twitter; some complained that traffic was crawling on thoroughfares such as Santa Monica Boulevard but others said it was not much worse than usual rush-hour snarls.

The fundraising reception and dinner was at the residence of Bradley and Colleen Bell in the Holmby Hills neighborhood north of the L.A. Country Club. Bradley Bell is the executive producer of the soap opera "The Bold and the Beautiful."

The co-hosts for the event were actor Will Ferrell and his wife, Vivica Paulin. The president is expected to be met by about 1,000 supporters at the reception, where the Foo Fighters will be performing.

Obama took the stage around 6: 30 p.m. and thanked people including the Foo Fighters, Rashida Jones, Jack Black and Los Angels Mayor Antonio Villagarosa.

Obama spoke without notes or a teleprompter. He recalled wining in 2008 and his victory speech in Grant Park in Chicago. "Change is hard... It's hard to remember
that in the heady days," the president said.

He said the outpouring of support in 2008 was because "people were feeling there was a mismatch of the idea of what America should be and what was happening
around the country."

At the second event, about 80 people were expected to attend a fundraising dinner at the same Holmby Hills home.  Tickets for that event cost $35,800. The money raised will go to a joint fundraising committee run by the Obama campaign and the Democratic National Committee.

On Thursday, Obama is scheduled to travel to the Newport Beach neighborhood of Corona del Mar, where he will attend a fundraising luncheon at the home of real estate developer Jeff Stack and his wife, Nancy Stack, for which tickets cost $2,500.

Between 7:30 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. Thursday, motorists are advised to stay clear of Wilshire and Santa Monica boulevards and Pico Boulevard and Avenue of the Stars, the LAPD said.

ALSO:

Federal funds for health testing at beaches to be eliminated

I-10 foul-up that caused five-hour jam ends in job reassignments

Architect who designed and built home charged in firefighter death

—White House pool reports and Robert J. Lopez

twitter.com/LAJourno

Photo: Dozens of California Highway Patrol motorcycles wait to lead President Obama and his entourage from the Beverly Hilton Hotel. Credit: Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times

ALSO:

Federal funds for health testing at beaches to be eliminated

I-10 foul-up that caused five-hour jam ends in job reassignments

Architect who designed and built home charged in firefighter’s death

— Robert J. Lopez

twitter.com/LAJourno

Photo: Firefighters were mopping up Wednesday night after knocking down flames in a commercial building blaze. Credit: Michael Robinson Chavez/Los Angeles Times

Lorna Valle, 32, allegedly shoved her 1-year-old and 5-year-old daughters face-first into a tub in their home Wednesday morning, the Los Angeles Police Department said.

She was booked on suspicion of murder and attempted murder and was being held Wednesday night on $1.5-million bail, Officer Karen Rayner said.

Her husband interrupted her as she tried to kill her children,  police said.

Horrified, the father began shouting as he allegedly found his wife trying to drown their two little girls.

The mother shoved the older daughter’s face into a small tub, Los Angeles Deputy Police Chief Pat Gannon told The Times.

The couple’s 1-year-old daughter died Wednesday morning, and their 5-year-old daughter was in critical condition at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. Earlier reports mistakenly said she was 4 years old.

The mother, who police said may have a history of mental illness, was taken into custody earlier in the day for questioning by LAPD detectives.

"I don't know what made her snap," Gannon said. The mother has been taken to a hospital for evaluation.

Firefighters arrived at the home in the 900 block of West 50th Street about 7:30 a.m. and found the girls unconscious and unresponsive. The rescuers tried to resuscitate the girls and rushed them to a hospital.

Neighbor Dina Ceballos, 46, said she saw the two little girls being carried out by the firefighters. Both were limp and colorless.

Hours later, she said she was still shaken and feeling ill and couldn't get the image of the girls being carried away out of her memory. "It broke my heart to see those girls," Ceballos said.

ALSO:

Federal funds for health testing at beaches to be eliminated

I-10 foul-up that caused five-hour jam ends in job reassignments

Architect who designed and built home charged in firefighter death

--Andrew Blankstein (twitter.com/anblanx) and Robert J. Lopez (twitter.com/LAJourno)

Photo: Lorna Valle with her two daughters. Credit: Family photo via KTLA-TV Channel 5