Several Residents And Firefighters Hurt, Hundreds Evacuated During Brentwood High-Rise Fire
BRENTWOOD (CBSLA.com) — The Los Angeles Fire Department Friday knocked down a fire at a residential high-rise building in West Los Angeles, but not before several people and three firefighters suffered injuries.
The fire ignited shortly before 11:43 a.m. in the 25-story Barrington Plaza building, located at 11740 Wilshire Boulevard, officials said.
KNX1070's Margaret Carrero reports some residents said fire alarms did not go off during the blaze, which started in a two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment on the 11th floor. No one was believed to be inside the unit when the fire began.
A 2-year-old girl and her grandfather suffered smoke inhalation as they tried to escape the building. Three firefighters were transported to the Grossman Burn Center with injuries and were released Friday.
Several other residents both in and outside the building complained of minor to moderate respiratory issues.
As of Friday evening, the young girl was still listed in critical condition at a nearby hospital.
Heavy smoke and flames could be seen coming from the 11th floor as hundreds of firefighters battled the blaze. Some traveled from the ground floor through the building to fight the flames, while others were dropped off via helicopter.
The blaze was knocked down at approximately 1:04 p.m.
The building, which is inspected annually, is not required to be outfitted with sprinklers. However, there were hose lines and extinguishers on all floors, according to Cpt. Jamie Moore.
An evacuation order was issued for the entire building, displacing approximately 700 residents, LAFD spokesman Brian Humphrey said.
KCAL9's Rachel Kim got a tour of the burned out 2-bedroom apartment Friday evening.
As of 10 p.m. Friday, she said more then 50 residents were still not allowed to go home.
While many residents told Kim they heard no alarms, a fire department official said alarms were operational.
"We had all had sort of stopped around maybe the 18th or 17th floor," said resident Pamela Day, "the smoke was so bad, you couldn't even see the stairs and you couldn't breathe."
While coming down the stairs, Day said she encountered the young girl and her grandfather.
"They were covered in black. The older gentleman had black stuff kind of dripping out of his mouth. Their mouths and noses were obviously black. They were unconscious but breathing," said Day.
Kim also reported that a pet dog was killed in the blaze.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
