Jan 15, 2008 9:55 pm US/Pacific
Mop Up Begins After Fire Rages Through Apartment
LOS ANGELES (CBS) ―
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A fire broke out in an apartment Tuesday near Park La Brea on Jan. 15, in Los Angeles, Calif.
CBS
Flames engulfed a two-story apartment building near Park La Brea Tuesday, sending a thick plume of black smoke into the air and forcing residents to flee, but there were no reports of injuries.
The fire was reported at 2:21 p.m. at 5449 W. Sixth St., near the intersection of Detroit and Sixth streets, said d'Lisa Davies of the Los Angeles Fire Department. It was caused by "workers sweating pipe," Davies said.
Residents watching the building burn said the flames may have been set off by workers in the attic, or in a unit being renovated.
"The repair guys were in the attic fixing things, and then I heard them, you know, running around and I noted that something went wrong," a female resident told KFWB-AM (980). "But then he started knocking at the doors saying, 'Just get out, the building's on fire."'
Firefighters who first arrived on the scene found the attic fully involved in flames.
Some firefighters stood on the roof of an adjacent building, dousing the flames with water, but the fire appeared to have destroyed at least half of the U-shaped structure.
All eight units suffered extensive water damage, Davies said.
"The preliminary estimate is that there was more than a million dollars worth of damage to the structure," Davies said.
Firefighters haven't computed the damage to the building's contents, Davies said.
Firefighters were pulled out of the building as the roof continued to burn and collapse. Other crews checked adjacent buildings to ensure that the fire did not jump to any other structures.
As many as 120 firefighters battled the fire, which was declared knocked down at 3:45 p.m., Davies said.
Some residents were allowed to go into their apartments to get a few things out for the night.
"You're in shock, then you're crying, is anybody in there that's not getting out," one resident said.
Mattey Tibbetts said he was initially in shock.
"When it settled down I started shaking, started crying, all my belongings just going up right in front of my face," Tibbetts said.
A dog, still shaking from the whole experience, stood by as John Sanchez said, "Thank God all my neighbors are safe and sound. They got places to go. The Red Cross has been here. They've been wonderful to us."
Many of the former tenants hoped that the 1926 building which was declared an historical monument would be restored to its original state.
Both Detroit and Sixth streets and La Brea Avenue and Wilshire Boulevard were closed in the area, snarling traffic at the start of the afternoon rush hour.
"It's a great building," resident Dan King told KFWB. "It's sad to see it burning like this."
(© 2010 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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