A building has now been deemed unsafe for tenants to return and 60 people were treated for smoke inhalation after a structure fire in East Hollywood.
The American Red Cross us assisting those in need of temporary housing.
An estimated 25 people were forced out of their homes Sunday morning after fire ripped through a residential building on Sunset Boulevard in East Hollywood.
The Los Angeles Fire Department responded just after 2:30 a.m. and it took about 30 firefighters to help put out the flames.
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Sixty people were treated for smoke inhalation but no one was seriously injured. While the cause of the fire remains unknown, arson investigators were on the scene gathering information.
"I worked Uber all night and when I came this morning, I was supposed to go sleep and I come here and everything was in flames," said Anton Kalinchinko.
Kalinchinko was trying to salvage what he could before heading out to stay with a friend.
"Smoke damage, the door is destroyed, everything. The lamp is destroyed," Kalinchinko said.
A fire captain on scene told NBC4 that the Fire Prevention Bureau had taken a look at the building in the past.
One of the building’s managers explained off camera they have rooms available to rent either nightly or weekly.
Lil Poh who lives in an RV parked in the back of the building says it often attracts many unhoused people in the area looking for a restroom and a shower.
"So they’re in and out trying to use the bathroom. We’ve gotta kick them out constantly. That’s a bit of a headache," Lil Poh said.
But after a year of living here, Kalinchinko says he’s never had a problem.
“I’ve never seen a lot of trouble cause I work a lot. I just come here, sleep eat and then go work," Kalinchinko said.
The extensive damage is visible when you walk down the dark hallways. The two-story 9,000 square foot building, with roughly 20 units is now red tagged.
It’s up to the LA Department of Building and Safety to decide whether or not any residents will be allowed back inside to collect their belongings.
