LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles firefighters rescued terrified residents from the rooftop of a 25-story high-rise apartment building where a fire broke out on a sixth-floor balcony and sent choking smoke billowing through the upper levels. One person was critically injured.
Officials said early reports that some people may have jumped were not true. Some people who fled to the roof of the building were rescued by helicopters. Fire Chief Ralph Terrazas said the fire has been deemed “suspicious.”
Deputy Fire Chief Armando Hogan said the fire was put out about 10 a.m., about 90 minutes after firefighters responded. Two people were taken to hospitals and six others had smoke inhalation, he said.
A fire also broke out at the Barrington Plaza high-rise in 2013, injuring several people and displacing more than 100, the Los Angeles Time reported.
Fire officials said then that the building was not equipped with a sprinkler system, the newspaper reported. It was built 52 years ago and wasn’t required to have one under state regulations saying buildings taller than 75 feet include such fire-suppression systems unless granted an exemption.
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