An abandoned Hollywood home that neighbors said had been attracting a constant stream of transients and criminal activity was demolished after the property went up in flames.
The fire erupted Thursday morning at a two-story structure on the 1700 block of North Wilton Place around 2 a.m.
Crews from the Los Angeles Fire Department quickly responded to the scene. Video from bystanders showed a large fire crew presence working to extinguish the growing blaze.
The home was later red-tagged by the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety. Due to the danger of collapse and general safety hazards, the property was later demolished by LAFD crews.
The demolished home was one of two vacant properties that had been a source of frustration and distress for nearby residents. The structures were attracting a constant stream of transients and squatters who neighbors said had overtaken the area.
Jeane Rice, a neighbor, told KTLA’s Ellina Abovian that living on the street was a “nightmare.”
“It’s a lot of noise, a lot of drug activity, a lot of criminal activity and it’s very dangerous,” she said.
Residents said there had been previous fires that were ignited by the squatters who loitered in the area.
But despite repeatedly calling the police and reaching out to city leaders for help, nothing had changed. Some residents had been calling for the demolition of the vacant properties for months.
Rice said Thursday’s massive fire further underscores the daily risk that neighbors are living with.
“This could have been our building on fire and somebody being killed,” she said.
Many residents told KTLA they were happy to see the structure demolished.
“I wish they would have taken care of this earlier,” said neighbor Nathaniel Siri. “I wish they would tear all these [empty] houses down because these houses aren’t livable at this point. That’s been the case for years.”
According to a statement from L.A. city councilmember Hugo Soto Martinez’s office, the city has been working with the Department of Building and Safety to declare the property a public nuisance.
The case is expected to go before the board of building and safety commissioners in May to place a lien.
Although many were happy to see at least one building demolished, concerns remain over the existing vacant property next door.
“It’s a failure of the city and it’s a failure of the developers,” Rice said. “They need to keep people out. It’s a failure of the L.A. Department of Building and Safety because they’re not imposing fines on the owners. It’s a failure of all these parties together. They need to come up with better resolutions and ways of handling things and it needs to be done quicker. When there are residents who are complaining that their lives are being affected and in danger, they need to act fast.”
No injuries were reported during the incident and the cause of the fire remains under investigation.
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