Fatal Fire in Historic Downtown Los Angeles High-Rise

Fire Erupts in Historic LA High-Rise

• 🔥 A fire broke out around 2:00 AM on the 7th floor of a 12-story historic building in downtown Los Angeles.
• 🚨 Residents reported being woken by screams and shouts of "fire" as flames shot out of a 7th-floor apartment window.
• 🚒 It took approximately 100 firefighters about 15 minutes to extinguish the blaze.

Discovery of Fatalities and Challenges

• 🕯️ Firefighters discovered a body inside the apartment where the fire originated.
• ⚠️ Firefighting efforts were challenging due to the need to carry all equipment up seven floors, as elevators could not be used.
• 💨 Firefighters pushed smoldering trash from the 7th-floor window onto the streets below as the flames subsided.

Building History and Evacuation

• 🏨 The building, originally the Roskin Hotel, opened in 1914 and was later converted into Section 8 housing in 2015.
• ⚠️ Many residents, even those on floors just below the fire, reported not hearing smoke or fire alarms and only evacuating after seeing smoke outside their windows.
• 🔍 Arson investigators were reportedly brought to the scene.