2 detained after firefighters knock out blaze at former Hollywood theater
A former Hollywood theater built in 1905 was destroyed in a fire Wednesday and two people were detained by police for questioning in connection to the blaze at the vacant building, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.
The LAFD did not reveal any additional information about the man and woman who were detained. There were no reported arrests, injuries, and the cause of the fire remains under investigation, according to authorities.
Over the years, the theater on North Las Palmas south of Sunset Boulevard has been known as the Hollywood Playhouse, Actors Center and Hollywood Center Theatre.
A large cloud of black smoke billowed from near the 880 Freeway onramp and 80 Freeway interchange in West Oakland as the fire burned several vehicles.
The fire was reported just before 9 a.m., and it took nearly two hours for more than 80 firefighters to put out the blaze. The theater’s structure was compromised by the fire and too dangerous for fire crews to enter the building, according to the LAFD. Firefighters spent most of their time on adjacent rooftops spraying the theater with water and making sure the fire did not spread to nearby structures.
The Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety is set to red-tag the building and deem it unsafe for occupants to enter due to the damage from the fire, the LAFD said.
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