A building caught fire in South Los Angeles leaving one-man dead early Sunday morning, April 30th.
The Los Angeles Fire Department responded to the scene, 101 firefighters took 26 minutes to “access, confine, and fully extinguish” the fire within a 3-story building located on South Broadway containing two floors of apartments over a commercial space. Firefighters discovered an unconscious male adult at around 6 AM while fighting the blaze, the man died at the scene.
Photos provided by KTLA 5 showcase the front of the charred building that can be seen from the main street. The commercial space appears to be heavily damaged and uninhabitable with fire crews still at the scene investigating the cause of the deadly incident. The identity of the man has not yet been released, as well as information reporting if any other individuals were injured during the fire. The 8600 block of South Broadway is close to the 110 Harbor Freeway.
“Fires are traumatizing to everyone involved,” said Gerald Singleton of Singleton Schreiber. “One too many lives have been taken in structural fires in Los Angeles, and in such a tight-knit neighborhood like this, the loss will impact everyone in the area.”
Singleton Schreiber’s Los Angeles fire accident attorneys can be reached at 213-816-0307 or by emailing info@singletonschreiber.com.
South Los Angeles Apartment Fires
According to the Los Angeles Fire Department’s website, the department responds to about 1,368 emergency incidents every day. These emergencies come in all forms, but the most common is fires in residential and business spaces. In this situation, the structure was mixed-use, with apartments on the top two floors and businesses on the ground floor. That means potential causes of the fires could range from a blaze started in a home by a malfunctioning heater to a fire started by a restaurant.
Fires affect the county in the following ways:
- Fire Prone Structures Exist in L.A. – Many structures, homes, and overall buildings within Los Angeles County are fire prone as they were built before requirements were set in place to protect them. Any new structure built now must abide by codes put into place to ensure they are constructed with fire-retardant materials.
- Fire and Wildfire Destruction – Many communities and counties are ruined by fires taking place all around the nation. These fires leave destruction in their wake making it very hard for areas to recover. When structures experience fires, it can leave many individuals displaced, homeless, and/or severely impacted.
Apartment fires are a significant concern in Los Angeles due to the high population density and the prevalence of older buildings that may not have modern fire prevention features. These fires can have devastating consequences, including property damage, injury, and loss of life.
Electrical malfunctions are a potential cause of apartment fires. Faulty wiring or overloaded outlets can spark and cause a fire to break out. In older buildings, faulty or outdated electrical systems may be more prone to these types of malfunctions.
The fire department will conduct an investigation into this blaze in South Los Angeles, but little is known of the landlord or the surrounding business which may be responsible will curb their behavior.
As Los Angeles continues to age, both in terms of structures and population, fires like this will grow more deadly. Properly caring for older buildings and older people requires landlords, businesses and the County to offer real solutions.
Structure fires in and around businesses can impact the economy, but this fire took a life and the cause must be acted upon as soon as possible.
“Fires throughout California are preventable, however those impacted by fires face substantial injuries, damages, out-of-pocket expenses, and or devastating losses such as the unfortunate loss of this person’s life,” said Mr. Singleton. “My hope is that anyone impacted seeks legal help in order to hold those responsible accountable for their negligent actions.”
Los Angeles based fire accident attorneys at Singleton Schreiber can be reached at 213-816-0307 or by emailing info@singletonschreiber.com.
