Hearth-thumping footage has emerged of firefighters rescuing a man stuck on the sixth-floor ledge of a high-rise building in LA.
The incident occurred on Wednesday at the 25-story Barrington Plaza on Wilshire Boulevard, Sawtelle. In the footage, several windows can be seen having been blown out by the inferno, with the flames threatening to spread up the outside wall of the structure. The man in question has obviously escaped out the window and can be seen clambering across a tiny ledge as firefighters desperately make their way up to help.
After edging along the window ledge, reported to be just 2 inches wide, the victim then finally reaches the welcome arms of the fire crew, as applause rings out on the street below.
LA Fire Dept officials noted that eight people, including a three-month-old, had been “impacted” by the blaze from smoke inhalation and other injuries, according to The Independent.
The LA Times reported that one of the victims, a 30-year-old man, required CPR and was in a grave condition at the hospital.
Other residents recalled the panic of hearing the fire alarm and being confronted by the billowing smoke.
“I had my pajamas on, so I had to hurry to put some clothes on, grab my phone and walk out the door of my 16th-floor apartment,” said 84-year-old resident, Dan Karzen. “I knew it was bad because there was all this smoke there for a fire that was happening on the sixth floor.”
Another local area resident, Ali Mara, remembers seeing a “ton of smoke” coming across the street towards her apartment.
“It’s just really sad,” she said. “There are so many things going on in the world. It just sucks. I just feel sad for those people.”
Opening up an investigation into the incident, Fire Chief Ralph Terrazas revealed that the circumstances around the blaze were “suspicious.” The department deployed more than 300 firefighters and four helicopters to the scene after a fire was reported breaking out around 8.30 am. It had been extinguished by 10 am.
This is not the first time the Barrington Plaza has fallen victim to a fire. In 2013, the building suffered a blaze that resulted in millions of dollars worth of damage and injured several people. Despite this previous incident — which results in a follow-up lawsuit filed on behalf of several residents — there were no sprinklers installed in the building following the fire.
“It’s a deathtrap,” said Ivo Gerscovich, who was discovered passed out along with his 2-year-old daughter in the previous fire. “It’s totally insane and indefensible.”