Westlake Fire: Did It Have to Be So Bad?

Residential sprinklers at the Westlake district apartment swept by fire this week might have saved lives and reduced the massive property damage. Now--as firefighters investigate the suspicious cause of the blaze--Los Angeles City Council member Mike Hernandez has urged his colleagues to revisit the issue of sprinklers, particularly in severely overcrowded housing. That’s certainly a good idea.

Hernandez, who represents the largely poor and immigrant neighborhood just west of downtown, also has asked the city Fire Department to review the status of buildings cited for fire code violations. That review should focus on tougher enforcement procedures and speedier compliance requirements.

The Burlington Avenue building, which was built 10 years ago in part with tax-exempt subsidies, had been cited several times for faulty smoke detectors, an alarm system that was not fully operational and fire doors propped or nailed open. As recently as April 10, firefighters called to a suspicious fire found code violations. The severity of the hazards prompted fire officials to order a 24-hour watch, in which a security guard was supposed to walk each floor every half-hour or so to alert residents in case of fire. The need was particularly urgent because fire officials suspected that gang members or drug dealers had set fires in an apartment and the building’s garage just last month. But what was done to correct the fire violations or address the severe gang and drug problem prior to the fatal blaze?

What is the status of similarly overcrowded apartments in other dense and crime-ridden neighborhoods? The Fire Department tries to inspect all buildings yearly. And surely an immediate survey of possible fire code violations of buildings in the Westlake neighborhood is now warranted. However, the number of firefighters has been reduced by nearly 20% since 1978. In the same period, the department’s workload has nearly doubled.

Shorthanded firefighters need help to get the word out about fire safety, particularly to Spanish-speaking families. The Spanish-language media should conduct an educational campaign on the purpose of fire doors and smoke detectors as well as how to survive a major fire.

Schools can help too. The Fire Department will sponsor a safety program in a few preschools and elementary schools next week. Surely civic-minded corporations and charities would be willing to underwrite the $580,000 cost of putting the fire prevention program in every school.

More sprinklers, additional people to fight fires and inspect for violations and new educational campaigns are expensive. But the life of a child is priceless.