Deadly West Hollywood Fire Under Investigation

An overnight deadly fire in an abandoned building in West Hollywood Thursday is under investigation by Sheriff's homicide detectives.

Firefighters responded to the commercial building fire in the 9000 block of West Melrose Avenue just before midnight Wednesday night, a Los Angeles County Fire Department spokesman said.

When they arrived, flames were coming through the roof of the building, that was filled with mattresses and shopping carts leading officials to believe it was a homeless encampment.

Witnesses told firefighters there could be victims inside. Rescue crews found a woman and a man on the floor in cardiac arrest, officials said.The woman was pulled out safely while the man, 53, was taken to a hospital for treatment, where he later died.

The man has been identified, but Coroner's investigators were still attempting to locate next of kin.

"He was a sweetheart," said Eddie Carroll, who runs the hair salon next door.  Carroll said the man had been staying nearby for several months and described him as polite and well-spoken, at times voluntarily did cleanup along the sidewalk.  "He never asked for anything."

The cause of the fire was not immediately apparent.  But investigators were exploring the possibility it was related to the activities of persons in the building.

"By all means we're going to look at this as a suspicious fire at this point just because we don't know what started the fire or if someone was responsible for starting the fire," Lt. Steve Jauch said, a homicide investigator with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

The scene of the deadly fire is also the planned sight of the Melrose Triangle Project, a mixed use building plan intended to reinvigorate West Hollywood's Western Gateway.  The project was approved last summer by the city council.  However, the Los Angeles Conservancy filed suit in September to stop the razing of the existing building, contending the former animal hospital with Depression-era  streamline moderne architecture is a historical landmark that should be preserved.

Other storefronts in the triangle shaped block between Doheny Dr.  and Almont Dr.,  Santa Monica Blvd and Melrose Ave remained occupied on a month to month basis, tenants said, but the  9080 Santa Monica Blvd. location had not been leased for an extended period of time, though it was posted as available.

"This has been allowed to descend into a homeless encampment," said Ryan Gierach, publisher of the online WeHo News which has been following the controversy.  "It was not secured in a special way at all." 

A development opponent said she was made aware a transient staying inside the building last year during a walk-through conducted by an agent for the property owner.

"We couldn't go into one of the rooms because he was sleeping," said Kate Eggert of the Dead History Project.  "This was actually one of our fears--that this would happen.  And it's really, really sad that now this man is dead," said Eggert.

"I am truly saddened by this terrible tragedy," reads in part a statement issued by property owner Arman Gabay.  "My thoughts and prayers are with the family who lost their loved one and for those who suffered in this tragic event." 

West Hollywood counted 43 persons without conventional housing  during the homeless census earlier this year.