Many displaced by Thursday blaze
By Sam Catanzaro
One person was killed in a fire that broke out in a hotel that housed many long term residents near Culver City Friday morning.
According to the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) the fire broke out around 2:40 a.m. on February 7 at the Venice Hotel, located at 8686 Venice Boulevard in Los Angeles.
Firefighters responded to the scene to find flames on both floors of the 28 unit hotel. According to the LAFD, it took 105 firefighters 39 minutes the extinguish the blaze.
According to the LAFD among eight patients was a male victim who was deceased on the scene. A man and a woman were taken to a hospital in critical condition along with an LAFD firefighter who was transported in fair condition.
An LAFD spokesperson said that the cause of the fire has been deemed accidental.
“Fire Investigators have determined the cause of the fire to be accidental, due to a space heater being too close to combustible materials,” said LAFD Public Information Officer Nicholas Prange.
According to the LAFD, the hotel is home to over 30 long-term residents who were displaced by the fire. Shelter and assistance have been set up for the people displaced by the American Red Cross.
