Sparks from construction in elevator shaft may have started rubbish fire in 12-story L.A. building

Will Conybeare
·2 min read

More than 80 firefighters extinguished a fire in an office building that may have started when sparks from an elevator shaft fell into a basement containing rubbish, fire officials say.

According to the Los Angeles Fire Department, the fire was reported just after 8:45 a.m. in the basement of a 12-story building under renovation located in the 500 block South Vermont Avenue.

“Work was underway in the elevator shaft, and it is believed sparks fell down into rubbish in the basement,” LAFD officials said.

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Video posted to the Citizen App shows smoke emanating from the top of the structure as firefighters arrived on scene and traffic began driving away from the area.

  • More than 80 firefighters extinguished a fire in a building that may have started when sparks from an elevator shaft fell into a basement containing rubbish, fire officials say. (Citizen App)
    More than 80 firefighters extinguished a fire in a building that may have started when sparks from an elevator shaft fell into a basement containing rubbish, fire officials say. (Citizen App)
  • More than 80 firefighters extinguished a fire in a building that may have started when sparks from an elevator shaft fell into a basement containing rubbish, fire officials say. (Citizen App)
    More than 80 firefighters extinguished a fire in a building that may have started when sparks from an elevator shaft fell into a basement containing rubbish, fire officials say. (Citizen App)
  • More than 80 firefighters extinguished a fire in a building that may have started when sparks from an elevator shaft fell into a basement containing rubbish, fire officials say. (Citizen App)
    More than 80 firefighters extinguished a fire in a building that may have started when sparks from an elevator shaft fell into a basement containing rubbish, fire officials say. (Citizen App)

“The first arriving fire company gathered equipment and began ascending the interior stairwell, encountering smoke on the lower floors,” LAFD Public Information Officer Margaret Stewart said. “Back up fire attack located a basement and found rubbish burning at the base of the elevator shaft, which caused smoke to fill the shaft, up through to the roof.  As crews extinguished the fire, the resulting smoke charged the large building.”

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The building’s lack of a functioning HVAC system to assist in the smoke ventilation will also make the operation take longer, officials stated. To add to the complications, an ongoing asbestos abatement project required firefighters to undergo decontamination procedures on scene.

The fire was knocked down in 33 minutes. No firefighters were injured, and no individuals were found inside the building.

Drivers were advised to seek alternate routes through Koreatown while authorities remained on scene.

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