The Burning of Los Angeles

If Pixar's "Up" had been set in Los Angeles, 1432 N. Detroit Street would have been a good candidate for inspiring Carl and Ellie's cute little vintage house.

Surrounded by bigger buildings and in a prime location just south of Sunset, 1432 N. Detroit was a single-story Spanish bungalow built in 1920. It was flipped as a development opportunity last May.

One year later (this May), plans were submitted for multiple three-story duplexes and an ADU on the lot. But even before that (in March), concerned citizens had contacted LADBS about the existing house being left open to the public and there being trash or debris on the property. And while the house technically was fenced off, there was a gap on one side.

Regular readers will know that's a recipe for a fire.

It burned on July 25th, and initially appeared to have spread to 1420 N. Detroit Street, part of the 38-unit Sunset Detroit Towers complex next door.

Thankfully, Sunset Detroit Towers didn't actually pick up the fire. Still, it could have, and I'm sure the neighbors didn't need the smoke-polluted air or the street closure.

According to the WeHo Times, the house was empty, but there were telltale signs of the squatters that neighbors had been spotting on the property for over a year.

In fact, I'd like to leave you with a sobering quote from the WeHo Times:

In 2023, the Los Angeles Fire Department reported 13,909 homeless fires, which is almost double the number of fires in 2020, making up 54% of the fires caused in Los Angeles and 80% in downtown.

I knew it wasn't just me...damn it.

1432 N. Detroit Street, Hollywood.

(Yes, the post title is a reference to The Day of the Locust.)

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