9-03-2023 6:25pm

Greater Alarm Structure Fire Knocked Down in Hollywood

Anita Johnson-Brown Editor

On September 3rd, 2023 at 5:24 pm, a fire broke out on the second floor of an 11,100 square foot, two-story center hallway apartment building located at 5603 W Lexington Avenue, Hollywood. The incident prompted an active evacuation of occupants from the building due to fire and smoke.

The Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) was alerted and dispatched 50 firefighters to the scene. They arrived within minutes and took only 27 minutes to access, contain, and completely extinguish the fire, which was confined to one second-floor unit.

The building, which was constructed in 1924, has twenty units. Several occupants were actively evacuating the building when the LAFD arrived. Two occupants were medically evaluated by LAFD paramedics. The cause of the fire is under investigation by the authorities.

By Anita Johnson-Brown

Update: 09-03-2023 6:20 p.m., Although the fire was confined to the one upstairs apartment, A 79-year-old was taken to an area hospital in fair condition for further medical assessment. The other patient declined ambulance transport. LAFD personnel are systematically assessing the remaining units to ensure residents can be safely and comfortably rehoused. Unfortunately, the building did not have optional fire sprinklers installed. The cause of the fire is still under active investigation.

At 7:12 p.m., after the fire had been put out, the LAFD responders conducted a post-fire assessment. One of the first responders, a firefighter who was involved in fighting the fire, showed signs of dehydration. As per the LAFD protocol, the firefighter has been taken to a nearby hospital for a detailed clinical examination, and he is currently in fair condition. No other injuries have been reported.

By Anita Johnson-Brown