A fire broke out early Tuesday morning in an apartment on the seventh-floor of a 12-story residential high-rise in Downtown Los Angeles, killing one person. Firefighters worked through heavy debris and excessive storage conditions that complicated efforts to fully extinguish lingering hot spots.

 

At 2:02 a.m. on September 16, 2025, the Los Angeles City Fire Department responded to a reported structure fire at 112 W. 5th Street. When the first fire company arrived on scene, smoke was visible from a corner unit on the seventh floor of the 12-story apartment building.

Due to the complexity of high-rise firefighting, where crews must carry equipment up stairwells, as elevators are only used under specific conditions not met in this incident, the response was quickly escalated to a Major Emergency incident.

Upon reaching the affected unit, firefighters encountered excessive storage conditions that obstructed access to the seat of the fire. They were able to quickly limit and control the fire while working to get through the debris. Under the leadership of Assistant Chief Paul Pham, more than 100 firefighters reached official knockdown in 50 minutes, ensuring the fire was prevented from extending to the adjacent units. There were no injuries to firefighters.

Tragically, one victim was found inside the unit and pronounced dead at the scene. Crews rescued a cat found near the fire unit and provided supportive medical care. The cat appeared to be doing well and was placed with  Los Angeles Animal Services.

Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety 'yellow-tagged' two units (restricted access): the fire unit and one adjacent unit that was vacant. The rest of the building was reopened, and residents were able to repopulate.

The LAFD Arson and Counter-Terrorism Section (ACTS) is investigating the cause of the fire, in accordance with protocol following a fatality.