Fatal Fires

Fire officials said the fire at 330 Burlington Ave. on Monday was one of the worst in Los Angeles in 25 years. Other major apartment house fires have led to the passage of safety legislation. Among them:

Sept. 13, 1970 / Ponet Apartments, 1249 S. Grand Ave.

* Time: 5:30 a.m.

* Fatalities: 19

* Result: Council passes the so called Ponet doors ordinance mandating that buildings of more than two stories have enclosed stairways and corridors and that doors be capable of holding back a fire for an hour when closed.

Nov. 15, 1973 / Stratford Apartments, 1734 West 6th St.

* Time: 11:19 p.m.

* Fatalities: 25

* Result: Council amends Ponet doors ordinance to require full compliance within six months instead of the original four years.

Oct. 29, 1979 / Bunker Hill Towers, 800 West 1st St.

* Time: 3 a.m.

* Fatalities: 3

* Result: Smoke detector ordinance of 1980 requires smoke detectors in corridors and bedrooms of all multiple dwelling units.

Sept. 4, 1982 / Dorothy Mae Building, 821 W. Sunset Blvd.

* Time: 4 a.m.

* Fatalities: 25

* Result: Dorothy Mae ordinance applies to pre-1943 buildings of more than three stories and required compliance within three years. It mandates that hall, stairways, exits, storage areas have sprinklers and be connected to alerting devices. Rooms opening into halls, stairs or exits must have a sprinkler just inside room. Self-closing devices required on apartment doors leading into halls.

Source: Los Angeles Fire Department