North Hills Church Fire Displaces Families and Children

Ongoing Fire and Evacuations

• 🔥 An abandoned church in North Hills, San Fernando Valley, was still actively burning Wednesday morning, more than 12 hours after the fire initially broke out.
• 🚒 Over 100 firefighters were on the scene, battling hot spots and flare-ups in the two-story commercial building.
• ⚠️ The roof of the abandoned building has collapsed, and the primary concern was preventing the flames from spreading to a neighboring four-story apartment complex.

Impact on Residents

• 🏠 More than two dozen people, including 21 children, were displaced from the adjacent apartment complex.
• 🏨 Residents are being housed in hotels and temporary shelters, with assistance from the LA Department of Transportation, Housing Authority, and the American Red Cross.
• 💔 Three of the 41 apartment units were yellow-tagged, forcing the displacement of 6 adults and 21 children, along with 6 pet turtles.

Firefighting Efforts and Building Status

• 💧 Firefighters conducted a defensive attack on the unstable commercial building while simultaneously working to protect the apartment complex.
• 🚧 Access to the interior of the fire was limited, but the roof collapse allowed water to reach deeper parts of the blaze.
• 🏗️ Building safety crews are expected to red-tag the commercial building as unsafe, with demolition likely later today.

Witness Accounts and Injuries

• 🗣️ One witness believes squatters may have been occupying the abandoned building, stating the fire started outside his children's window.
• 🚑 A total of three patients were evaluated, with one 32-42 year-old male transported for smoke inhalation and shortness of breath.
• 🏥 Two adult women were taken to the hospital in fair condition with smoke inhalation injuries.