Local News in Brief : False Alarm at Skyscraper
Five companies of firefighters responded to a false alarm at the crippled First Interstate Bank tower in downtown Los Angeles Tuesday, a day after three smoke-induced alarms forced the evacuation of hundreds of workers.
The rash of alarms has forced First Interstate officials to “be more cautious about letting people in the building,” said spokesman Bob Campbell. Among those losing their access are fire prevention specialists from around the country who are in Los Angeles this week for the convention of the National Fire Protection Assn.
The fire specialists had been promised a tour of the 62-story tower--the tallest in Los Angeles--that was heavily damaged in a May 4 blaze that gutted five floors.
Limited access has led to at least one lawsuit. On Monday, AMELCO Construction Co., the company that was installing sprinklers when the fire broke out, filed a lawsuit in Superior Court seeking to halt the cleanup and allow its experts to inspect the fire scene.
An attorney representing the firm said Tuesday that while the suit remains on file, a temporary settlement has been reached.
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