High-Rise Fire Blamed on Worker’s Match

A spectacular fire on the 21st floor of the 34-story Equitable Life Building in the Wilshire District was accidental, caused by a match thrown into a waste basket, officials said Tuesday.

The blaze erupted at about 8:30 p.m. Monday when a man who was working late struck a match to inspect a security system panel and then threw the match away, Fire Department spokesman Greg Acevedo said. The unidentified man suffered serious burns to his hands trying to put out the flames before calling the Fire Department.

The blaze quickly grew and it took an hour to extinguish. Damage to the building at the corner of Mariposa Avenue and Wilshire Boulevard was estimated at $250,000, fire officials said.