Fire blazes through Westwood structure
Group may purchase former Chart House on Glendon Avenue despite
burn damage
By Lucia Sanchez
Daily Bruin Staff
A two-story vacant building in Westwood Village suffered
$150,000 in damage after an accidental fire burned the second floor
and attic late in the evening of Nov. 19.
The building on Glendon Avenue, formerly the Chart House
Restaurant, initially caught fire on the second floor and spread to
the attic. A homeless man, who had been trying to warm himself on
the second floor, left a fire he had started unattended.
It took Los Angeles city firefighters 42 minutes to extinguish
the 12:19 a.m. fire, said Jim Wells, L.A. City Fire Department
spokesman.
The initial responding fire company, which consists of four
firefighters, felt more firefighters were needed to handle the
fire, Wells said. Eventually, 14 fire companies took part in
extinguishing the flames, he added.
"The amount of fire that was showing from the building required
additional personnel to extinguish it," Wells said.
While the building is now vacant, it may soon house a new
restaurant. Tom Carroll, director of the Westwood Village
Management Corp., said a group may purchase the building from an
undisclosed owner in the near future.
The fire will not affect the sale of the property, since all
potential buyers are looking at rebuilding the structure, Carroll
said.
The fire highlights several issues the Management Corp. is
concerned about in Westwood. Especially with the coming cold
weather, the Management Corp. wants to make sure that people have
shelter, but also that buildings are safe, added Carroll.