A boarded-up former hotel in Downtown Los Angeles, featured on the cover of the 1970 Doors album “Morrison Hotel,” was engulfed by a fire on Thursday, leaving the building’s fate uncertain. The fire, which brought down the roof but did not result in any injuries, occurred at the AIDS Healthcare Foundation’s property, which had been trying to turn it into an affordable-housing complex.
The 1914 building had been used as a training site for firefighters and was home to around 25 homeless people before the blaze. Despite efforts to secure the building by placing steel plates on its doors, the structure was breached using power tools, allowing unauthorized access.
Firefighters rescued three people from the building, while others evacuated on their own. The cause of the fire remains unknown. It took over 90 minutes for firefighters to extinguish the flames, which released large clouds of dark smoke into the air.
The iconic cover photo, featuring Jim Morrison and the band behind a “Rooms From $2.50 Up” sign, has become an integral part of rock ‘n’ roll history. Music photographer Henry Diltz had to improvise when he took the picture, capturing the image in just five minutes after finding the receptionist’s seat vacant.
John Densmore, the band’s drummer, expressed sadness over the fire, saying that Jim Morrison would have been pleased with plans to repurpose the building as affordable housing. The building’s fate is now uncertain, but its historic significance and connection to rock music will be remembered for years to come.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/27/us/morrison-hotel-doors-fire.html