Fire Sweeps Through Attic of Hollywood's Magic Castle

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The Los Angeles Fire Department responded to a reported "Structure Fire" at the historic Magic Castle today, leaving the 102 year-old mansion no choice but to postpone its planned week of Halloween festivities, which the private club had ironically dubbed "Inferno at the Castle."

At 12:35 pm on Monday, October 31, 2011, 120 Los Angeles Firefighters quickly descended upon the two-story, Victorian-style structure at 7001 West Franklin Avenue, for what was confirmed by first arriving resources as a "fire in the attic." Because of the building's compartmentalized construction and its complexity in design, the fire was able to conceal itself within the walls and attic of the Magic Castle. For a time, the fire seemed, almost, to prevent itself from being discovered and perhaps hoped to extend the theme of the magic club's week-long promotion, on its own.

Great lengths were taken to keep this Los Angeles area landmark and all of its historical content safe from extensive damage. Thanks to an aggressive fire-attack, coupled with strategic work on a very elaborate roof, Firefighters were able to fully-extinguish this pesky fire in just one hour and five minutes. Although its construction dates back to 1909, the mansion is now fully-sprinklered, which aided in the LAFD's ability to confine the fire to its area of origin.

The Magic Castle's management and its workers, preparing for the Halloween Night festivities, were the only occupants in the building at the time. All managed to exit the structure without incident and we are pleased to report, there were no injuries.

While the exact cause remains under active investigation, the fire was determined to be "accidental" in nature. Dollar loss and damage estimates were not yet available.

Click here to find updates from our friends at The Magic Castle, such as when they hope to reopen.

Republished with permission of the Los Angeles Fire Department. View original article here.



Author:Matt Spence - PIO - LAFD