Thursday, August 31, 2017

Renovation worker critically injured and firefighter injured in fire at the ninth floor Sheraton hotel in Universal City, California





Worker gravely hurt, firefighter injured in fire at Sheraton hotel in Universal City
 

By City News Service


August 31, 2017



UNIVERSAL CITY, CA - A worker was gravely hurt and a firefighter suffered a non-traumatic injury Wednesday when a fire broke out at a high-rise hotel undergoing renovations in Universal City.

The fire, reported at 12:37 p.m. in a ninth-floor room at the 26-story Sheraton hotel at 10600 W. Universal Place, was held in check by the sprinkler system, according to Margaret Stewart of the Los Angeles Fire Department.

Firefighters extinguished the fire — there was no immediate word on the cause — and broke out windows to release heavy smoke, Stewart said.


An adult male worker was found in an adjacent room and taken, in grave condition, to a hospital, Stewart said.

One firefighter was taken to a hospital for treatment of a “non- traumatic” injury and was said to be in fair to serious condition, Stewart said.

No guests were staying on the ninth floor. Some of those staying on other floors self-evacuated and others were told to shelter in place, Stewart said.

The building sustained water and smoke damage from the ninth floor to the lobby and firefighters were performing salvage operations, trying to minimize the loss.




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A male worker is in grave condition and a firefighter was injured after a fire broke out at a 26-story hotel building in the Universal City area on Wednesday afternoon.


A firefighter cleans up after a blaze at the Sheraton Universal on Aug. 30, 2017, in a photo by LAFD’s David Ortiz.

The blaze on the ninth floor of the Sheraton Universal was reported shortly after 12:30 p.m.

When firefighters ascended the stairs to the ninth floor, which was under construction and hosting no hotel guests, they encountered heavy smoke, according to Margaret Stewart with the Los Angeles Fire Department.

Firefighters had to break windows to let out the smoke after extinguishing the fire. As they searched the area, they found an adult male worker in the next-door room. He was taken to a hospital in grave condition.

A firefighter was also transported in “fair/serious condition with non-traumatic injury,” Stewart said.

Guests were ordered to shelter in place during the blaze, which was “held in check” by sprinklers, she said.



The smoke and sprinkler water damaged floors from the ninth down to the lobby and firefighters were working to clean up. They will be at the high-rise “for an extended period,” Stewart said.

Arson investigators are on scene.