Hollywood Man Burned in Blast at Flower Shop
An explosion and fire in an apartment above a well-known Hollywood flower shop Friday sent a 22-year-old man to the hospital with first- and second-degree burns, authorities said.
The fire began just before noon, after Bertoldo Torres lit a cigarette in a second-story apartment above Arturo’s flower shop at 1261 N. La Brea Ave., according to Capt. William Mayfield of the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
Torres, who is an employee of the flower shop, was listed in serious condition at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where he was being treated for burns to the face, neck and hands.
Fire officials said the victim’s account and physical evidence suggest that leaking natural gas caused the explosion and fire, which caused an estimated $30,000 damage to the upper story. Five fire companies responded to the blaze, which was extinguished in about 15 minutes.
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