A massive fire heavily damaged a historic downtown Los Angeles building on Thursday, leaving it nearly uninhabitable. The Morrison Hotel, made famous by The Doors’ 1970 album of the same name, was engulfed in flames at the 1200 block of Hope Street.
Firefighters responded to the scene just before 11 a.m. and battled the blaze for over an hour and a half before gaining control of the flames. More than 100 firefighters were involved in the efforts, which included evacuating several dozen people from the building.
According to Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) spokesperson David Ortiz, firefighters made their way up to the fourth floor to locate heavy fire, but the blaze had already breached the roof and spread to the third floor. Witnesses described the intense heat and flames ripping through the windows.
No injuries were reported, and no other structures were damaged in the fire. The building was vacant for over 15 years and was used as a frequent training site for LAFD firefighters.
The Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety will now determine the cause of the fire, which is believed to have started around last year when the AIDS Healthcare Foundation acquired the property for $11.9 million and planned to convert it into low-income housing.
Source: https://abc7.com/post/large-fire-breaks-downtown-los-angeles-building-unhoused-people-inside/15711328