3 Floors in High-Rise Still Closed After Fire

By City News Service

Residents displaced from the seventh and eighth floors of a high-rise that was damaged by fire have been allowed back into their units, but residents of the ninth, 10th and 11th floors are still locked out, authorities said Monday.

The blaze at the 25-story Barrington Plaza complex in the 11700 block of Wilshire Boulevard was reported about 11:45 a.m. Friday on the 11th floor of the building. An estimated 100 to 150 residents were displaced from 51 units on floors seven through 11 that were deemed uninhabitable.

Late Sunday night and this morning, displaced residents from the seventh and eighth floors were allowed back into their units, according to Erik Scott of the Los Angeles Fire Department.

Displaced residents from the ninth floor may be allowed back into their units beginning tonight, Scott said. It was unclear when residents from the 10th and 11th floors would be allowed back into their units.

At the height of the blaze, a plume of black smoke could be seen emanating from the structure, with flames shooting from west-facing windows.

Within about 45 minutes, the flames had been largely extinguished and the fire was declared out in just over an hour. Fire officials said the blaze was contained to a single two-bedroom apartment.

Two people were initially taken to a hospital for treatment of smoke exposure, but as fire crews continued to search the building, paramedics found five other residents suffering from minor to moderate respiratory distress.

Two of those injured residents declined to be taken to a hospital. Among those who were transported was a critically injured 2-year-old girl who was found with a man in a 23rd-floor stairwell.

Three firefighters also suffered burns and were taken to the Grossman Burn Center for evaluation of non-life-threatening injuries.

A dog was killed in the fire, according to the fire department.

Because of the aggressive tactics used by firefighters there was a great deal of water in the burned apartment unit and some of that water seeped into the floors below, LAFD Capt. Jaime Moore said.

The cause of the fire remained under investigation. A damage estimate was not available.

The 240-unit building was built in 1961 and was not equipped with a sprinkler system because it was grandfathered in and was not required to have one, according to the LAFD.

*An earlier version said the high-rise is located Brentwood, when it is actually across the street from the Brentwood border.