Crews knock down fire at the Magic Castle; damage to the iconic Hollywood venue is unclear
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- Crews knocked down a fire at the Magic Castle in Hollywood in just 41 minutes Tuesday evening.
- The blaze may be linked to roof work being completed on the more than a century old building.
Crews quickly knocked down a fire in the attic of the Magic Castle, the iconic Hollywood event venue and world-famous home of the Academy of Magical Arts.
Firefighters were deployed to the incident at 5:28 p.m. Tuesday and jumped into offensive mode, coordinating roof ventilation, fire suppression and salvage operations on the third floor, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. With a team of 68 firefighters, they managed to knock down the blaze by 6:09 p.m., preventing flames from spreading across the structure.
The damage done to the 117-year-old building remains unclear. Roof work on the structure has been identified as a possible cause of the ignition, according to the Fire Department.
Employees told firefighters that work was being performed on the roof earlier that day and that roofers had been using blowtorches to melt down material, according to reporting from KTLA-TV.
The Magic Castle’s Junior Society, which is celebrating it 50th anniversary, is shaping the next generation of magicians with mentorship, monthly classes and performance opportunities.
Aerial news video showed firefighters walking on the roof of the building, where light smoke was rising through the ceiling.
Fire crews remained at the scene Tuesday evening, continuing damage assessment, salvage and smoke removal operations. Paramedics were working to assess several people at the scene, but no injuries were reported, according to the LAFD.
Perched in the Hollywood Hills, the Magic Castle is one of Los Angeles’ most unusual landmarks, boasting a private society for magicians tucked inside a mansion known as the Holly Chateau.
The performance venue opened in 1963 as a clubhouse for the Academy of Magical Arts, a nonprofit group founded by the Larsen family of magicians. The academy boasts around 5,000 magician and nonmagician members who hold the power to invite people to the venue’s mystical events.
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