Investigators Seek Cause of Fatal Apartment Fumes

Plastic sheeting laid by workers on the roof of an apartment building near downtown Los Angeles blocked a rooftop vent and probably caused the building to fill with heater fumes that killed one man, critically injured three other persons and left about 200 people temporarily homeless, authorities said Wednesday.

Investigators of Tuesday night’s incident also were looking into the possibility that carbon monoxide came from leaks found in a connection between a basement hot water heater and a vent in the side of the building on South Witmer Street at 3rd Street.

Another possibility, authorities said, was undetected damage to an incinerator shaft that was being used as a vent from the basement’s boiler heating system to the roof.

May Remain a Mystery

An official of the city Building and Safety Department acknowledged, however, that the exact cause may never be known.

City building inspectors Wednesday morning ordered the 42-unit structure kept closed until they can determine what repairs must be made. The evacuees were staying at an emergency Red Cross shelter in the gym at nearby Belmont High School, or with friends and relatives.

The building’s owner, James P. Lynch of Los Angeles, will at the least be cited for leaks in the hot water heater vent and will be ordered to repair them, said Mike Lee of the Building and Safety Department. He might also be ordered to replace the boiler heater system, close off the incinerator shaft and install the heater’s vent pipe on the outside of the old brick building.

Possibly Unsafe Practice

The city code allows shafts inside buildings to be used as venting chutes, but Lee and others said the practice is probably unsafe.

Lynch, who has owned the building for 15 or 20 years, according to his brother, Kevin Lynch, could not be reached for comment.

The workers who left the plastic on the roof had been repairing damage caused by the Oct. 1, 1986, earthquake, according to Kevin Lynch, and probably were worried about rain leakage. He maintained that the building and its equipment were well maintained and that the boiler heater was new.

Gas company workers, however, told investigators Thursday that they had been in the basement recently and thought the boiler heater was not working properly, Lee said.

Paramedics Called

The fumes were discovered after paramedics answered a call and found people complaining of dizziness, nausea and headaches.

The dead man was found in bed in a first-floor apartment. His name was withheld until relatives could be reached.

Also withheld was the name of a man in his 20s who was in critical condition Thursday at Northridge Medical Center in Northridge. Also injured were Rafel Malgar, 23, of Whittier, who was in critical condition at Memorial Hospital Medical Center in Long Beach and Kathleen Gaffey, 65, who was in serious condition at Queen of Angels Hospital.