Mid-City Motel Fire Leaves 1 Dead, 8 Injured
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — One person is dead and eight people, including a firefighter, were injured after a fire broke out at a motel in the Mid-City area.
Fire was reported in multiple units of the Venice Hotel, 8686 W. Venice Blvd. at about 2 a.m. More than 100 firefighters were needed to put out the flames on the two floors of the motel, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.
"There was mainly flames in one or two rooms, and I know at least two people had to jump out from the upper floor," resident D.A. said.
The building reportedly had smoke alarms, which woke some residents.
"Looked out the door and I saw flames right here, and then I started knocking on everybody's door," resident Tamu Khalfani said. "People didn't believe me."
One man was recording video on his cell phone when he arrived to find flames shooting from the motel and audibly panicked because his 59-year-old mother was still inside.
"Oh my God," Narayana Cabral says breathlessly in the video. "I think my mom is in, I think she's inside. Mom! I can't get to her, I can't get to my mom. Mom!"
Cabral says his mother was able to get to a second-story balcony, but she slipped and fell, hurting herself. He took her to a hospital himself.
Firefighters had the flames out within 40 minutes.
LAFD officials said one man was declared dead at the scene and five other residents were injured. One man remains in critical condition, while a man and a woman who were taken to the hospital in grave condition have been upgraded to serious condition. Firefighters say one man is in fair condition after being treated for cuts after the fire was put out, and another declined to be taken to the hospital following assessment for a minor injury.
One firefighter was being evaluated for a non-life threatening respiratory issue.
The Red Cross is helping move displaced residents to a community center.
The cause of the fire was determined to have been sparked by a space heater being too close to combustible materials.
