Three senior citizens were hospitalized today from injuries they sustained in a fire that broke out in a 15-story senior living facility in the Westlake district.
The fire was reported about 8:45 p.m. Monday at 455 S. Union Ave. on the building’s fourth floor, according to Erik Scott of the Los Angeles Fire Department.
Approximately 150 firefighters were able to knock down the fire in 42 minutes despite multiple challenges including the lack of sprinklers in the building and self-closing doors to assist in containing the fire, Scott said. Aside from the building lacking what it needs to protect those living in the facility, it serves as a strong reminder – whether you are in an assisted living facility or aging in place – purchasing products like the best medical alert system within your budget are more important than ever.
Five residents were injured in the fire, three of whom — a 75-year-old man, a 75-year-old woman and an 80-year-old woman — required treatment at hospitals. Two of the three residents hospitalized were critically burned and one suffered smoke inhalation, Scott said. The other two suffered minor injuries. No firefighters were injured.
Firefighters brought hose lines from the area uninvolved in flames, 100 feet down a dark, smoke-filled hallway into the involved unit and compartmentalized the fire, stopping it from spreading horizontally to adjacent units or to units above, Scott said.
Firefighters performed a rapid systematic search for trapped victims and rescued them, Scott said, adding that the incident commander worked with building management to determine the location of occupants with special medical needs, particularly those who couldn’t walk, and provided the necessary assistance to ensure their safety.
Residents above the fire, those living on the fifth floor and higher, were ordered to shelter in place, by staying behind closed doors in their apartment, Scott said. Residents on the fire floor and below were calmly and quickly evacuated.
The cause of the fire was under active investigation by the LAFD Arson Section, and the estimated dollar loss was being tabulated.
