West Hollywood residents blast city for fire at vacant home

A vacant West Hollywood home is at the center of a neighborhood uproar over safety concerns after the home caught fire on Thanksgiving.

The home on Sierra Bonita Avenue near Santa Monica Boulevard is still standing but red tagged by the city as unsafe. The property caught fire almost two weeks ago and there is a heavy ash smell in the air.

Now, neighbors are worried and they want it cleaned up.

The odor forced neighbors like Olga Cross to stay indoors. 

“We cannot have fresh air in our unit because the fire is so intense,” Cross said. "It’s a health hazard. People are having trouble breathing, eyes tearing up sneezing and coughing and nothing is being done." 

On Monday night, several neighbors expressed their frustration to the West Hollywood city council hoping to get the property cleaned up but they say nothing was done. Stefanie LaHart lives next door to the burned home and says it’s been a nightmare even before the fire. 

“We have been dealing with trespassing garbage buildup and all transients coming in and fights,” LaHart said. 

A city spokesperson told NBCLA an active Code Enforcement investigation is underway and have even placed block by block security Ambassadors at the home around the clock for safety reasons. When NBC4 reached out for more information, the request was denied.  

LaHart says she will keep speaking up until her next door eye sore is gone - even creating an online blog to document any steps taken because she says placing a security ambassador is not enough. 

“We know it’s causing a health risk and they are sitting there without protection and I gave them a box of face masks, LaHart said. 

NBC4 reached out to LA County fire for an official cause of the fire but have not heard back. NBC4 also reached out to the property representative listed. but we were told they no longer have the listing.