The Hollywood home, which neighbors said had attracted a constant, temporary flow, was destroyed after property burned into flames.
The Tuesday erupted around 2am on a two-storey structure in the 1700 block of North Wilton Place.
The Los Angeles Fire Station crew responded to the scene immediately. Videos from bystanders showed the presence of a large firefighter who works to extinguish the growing flames.
The LA Department crew destroyed an empty home that they said had been taken over by Hollywood squatters after a massive fire destroyed the property on May 1, 2025. A massive fire destroyed the property on May 1, 2025, and was taken over by Hollywood squatters. and criminal acts. (KTLA) Crews at the LA Fire Station have destroyed an empty house they said were taken over by Hollywood squatters after a massive fire destroyed property on May 1, 2025.
The house was later packed red by the Los Angeles Buildings and Safety Bureau. Due to the dangers of collapse and general safety hazards, the property was later demolished by the LAFD crew.
The destroyed home was one of two vacant properties that were a source of frustration and distress for nearby residents. The structure attracted a constant flow of constant transitions and squatters whom neighbors said they had overtaken the area.
Neighbor Jean Rice told KTLA’s Elina Abobian that living on the streets was a “nightmare.”
“It’s a lot of noise, a lot of drug activity, a lot of criminal activity, and it’s very dangerous,” she said.
Residents said there had been a previous fire that was lit by squatters who had lodged in the area.
But despite repeated calls to police and reaching out to city leaders for help, nothing has changed. For months, some residents have been seeking to demolish vacant properties.
Rice said the massive fire on Thursday further underscored the daily risks of neighbors living together.
One of two vacant buildings at Wilton Place in Hollywood said its neighbors are attracting a constant stream of homeless people and dangerous criminal activity. (KTLA) One of two vacant buildings at Wilton Place, Hollywood, said its neighbors had attracted a constant stream of homeless people and dangerous criminal activity. (KTLA) Views of the backyard of an empty building at Wilton Place in Hollywood said neighbors had attracted a constant stream of homeless people, dangerous criminal activities and even visitors who caused fires. (KTLA) A person arrested by LA police in a Hollywood neighborhood said residents were covered in transition and crime and activity from squatters. Neighbors said two vacant Hollywood buildings bring together constant temporary flows and squatters. Views of the backyard of an empty building on Wilton Place in Hollywood said that neighbors had attracted a constant stream of homeless people, dangerous criminal activities and even visitors who caused fires. (KTLA) Street and empty facilities are littered with transients and trash and debris from squatters that took over the vacant Hollywood buildings at Wilton Place. (KTLA) Street and empty facilities are littered with transients and trash and debris from squatters that took over the vacant Hollywood buildings at Wilton Place. (KTLA)
“This is our building and someone could have been killed,” she said.
Many residents told KTLA they were happy to see the structure being demolished.
“I wish they were taking care of this sooner,” said neighbor Nathaniel Siri. “I hope they rip all this apart [empty] These houses are difficult to live at this point, so the houses are down. That has been the case for years. ”
According to a statement from the office of LA City Councilman Hugo Soto Martinez, the city is working with the Buildings and Safety Department to declare the property a public nuisance.
The lawsuit is expected to go to place a lien before the Building and Safety Board in May.
Although they were pleased to see at least one building being demolished, concerns remained about the existing vacant property next door.
“It’s a city failure, a developer failure,” Rice said. “They need to keep people out. They don’t impose fines on their owners, so it’s a failure of the LA Department of Building and Safety. It’s a failure of all these actors. They need to come up with a better resolution and a way to handle things, and when there are people complaining that their lives are affected and at risk, they need to act quickly.”
No injuries were reported during the incident and the cause of the fire remains under investigation.
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