Firefighters control raging blaze at Hollywood and Vine
A building housing a nightclub popular with celebrities burns for 2 1/2 hours before crews bring it under control. No injuries are reported; streets are still blocked for cleanup.
A popular celebrity hangout at the intersection of Hollywood and Vine in the heart of Hollywood was ravaged this morning by a blaze that took firefighters nearly 2 1/2 hours to bring under control.
The fire sent up a plume of smoke visible for miles and shut down the busy crossroads as 100 firefighters worked to extinguish flames that gutted Basque Nightclub and Restaurant at 6263 W. Hollywood Blvd., where actress Lindsay Lohan celebrated her 21st birthday and rap star Kanye West partied earlier this month.
The blaze broke out about 5:30 a.m. at the hub of Hollywood's ongoing redevelopment, close to numerous high-end projects, including loft buildings and a W Hotel and residences now under construction.
During the fire's peak, 40-foot flames could be seen shooting from the roof. City Councilman Tom LaBonge was on a hike this morning in Griffith Park when he saw the flames and rushed to the scene.
"It looked like a meteor, a half-moon of orange flames," LaBonge said.
About 30 minutes into battling the fire, firefighters had to leave the building due to concerns that the structure, which has a huge billboard on its roof, was not stable, said d'Lisa Davies of the Los Angeles Fire Department.
But by 8 a.m., the fire was 99% contained, said Los Angeles Fire Battalion Chief Ronnie Villanueva. No injuries were reported, he said, and the cause was not immediately known.
"We are very fortunate that it was an early morning fire where the amount of people out there was minimal," Villanueva said. "The companies were able to come in without traffic and people, and have a good aggressive attack."
Crews from 40 companies used aerial ladders to pour water on the flames from above, working to prevent the fire from spreading. At one point, at least six helicopters were overhead.
After the fire was out, Shimul Barua and his family surveyed the damage at his souvenir shop next door. Smoke permeated the T-shirts, postcards and disposable cameras packed into the Hollywood Gift and Food Mart, at 6303 Hollywood Blvd.
"I don't know what we're going to do about this," said Barua, pointing to the flooded linoleum and a hole in the roof. "Everything is damaged."
Just another down, Mack Khanani, 28, gave thanks that his Tabu Smoke Shop was unscathed. No damage, he said -- not even from smoke.
