A major fire broke out in the early hours of September 13th near Los Angeles’ Chinatown in Bunker Hill, leaving one resident in critical condition and injuring six others. It has come to light that homeless individuals had been squatting in the building for a long time, with residents repeatedly reporting concerns to city officials, but no action was taken.
The fire started at approximately 3:45 AM in an unfinished apartment building on the 700 block of New Depot Street in Bunker Hill, spreading to nearby apartment buildings. It took firefighters 90 minutes to extinguish the blaze.
According to the Fire Department, six people were injured in the fire. A 90-year-old man was hospitalized in critical condition, while a 55-year-old woman was transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening burns. One firefighter was injured and taken to the hospital, and another was treated on-site for heat exhaustion.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation. Local residents reported that the building where the fire originated was an unfinished apartment complex that had been occupied by homeless individuals for a long time. Residents claim to have expressed their concerns to city authorities multiple times.
The building where the fire started had been under construction until about two years ago when work was halted. This year alone, there have been approximately four small fires in the building. Residents say that homeless individuals occupying the building would play music throughout the night, with up to six people living there at times, causing significant problems for the neighborhood.
A manager of a nearby building stated that when they called Council member Eunisses Hernandez’s office about the homeless occupation issue, they were told nothing could be done. They were also asked to fill out and submit a form to the Building Safety Office, which they did in mid-July, but received no response.
Residents criticized the government for failing to respond to their numerous complaints and reports. This is seen as a typical example of Los Angeles city council members’ irresponsibility when it comes to homeless-related issues.
Reported by Yeon-ho Jeong, Radio Seoul
