Electrical Wall Fire In Westwood Mid Rise Building Displaces Residents Of 6 Units
WESTWOOD (CBSLA.com) — Firefighters completed their investigation Sunday into a stubborn apartment building fire that broke out last night near UCLA.
According to the Los Angeles Fire Department, crews were sent around 8:26 p.m. Saturday to the Wilshire Manor Apartments located in the 10600 block of Wilshire Boulevard for report of a structure fire.
Once on scene, firefighters found smoke showing from the upper floors of the six-story apartment building.
Five floors were occupied by residents above the parking level, which contained 46 apartments in total.
Crews explained the 57-year-old mid rise building covered 58,943-square-feet, and was equipped with hallway fire hose cabinets and smoke and manual pull-station alarms, which sounded on all floors of the building to alert residents.
Authorities explained crews first secured the lobby and elevators, and proceeded to check the stairs for flames in areas above where smoke was initially seen.
Firefighters reported they extended aerial ladders to balconies, where they found well entrenched flames in the walls of a fourth floor unit.
"The blaze extended vertically aside an elevator shaft to an apartment on the top floor," explained LAFD firefighter Brian Humphrey.
A handful of residents were assisted by crews to self-evacuate from the fourth floor, and were directed to shelter, firefighters said.
One woman who was evacuated complained of respiratory problems, and was taken by ambulance to a hospital in fair condition.
According to officials, another resident came forward seeking medical assessment for a pre-existing condition hours later, however, she declined treatment and transportation.
No other injuries were reported.
A total of 130 firefighters reportedly contained the flames to the walls of units 404 and 504 in about 56 minutes.
In total, the fire caused $150,000 in damage to the building and contents inside of two apartments where the fire burned.
"Collateral impact from the blaze temporarily rendered four additional apartments untenable until repairs could be made," explained Humphrey.
Wilshire Boulevard remained closed in both directions until shortly after midnight, when firefighters completed their investigation.
Firefighters ruled the cause of the fire to be from an electrical issue.
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