The Los Angeles Hearth Division knocked down a fireplace Thursday in a vacant downtown constructing that was previously the house of the Morrison Lodge, which turned well-known after it was photographed as the quilt artwork for the 1970 album by seminal L.A. band The Doors.
The construction hearth was situated on the highest ground of the vacant four-story constructing situated at 1246 S Hope St. A complete of 17 hearth firms and greater than 100 firefighters, knocked down the blaze in 1 hour and 37 minutes, the LAFD stated. The hearth pressured the closure of eastbound and westbound site visitors on Pico.
No accidents had been reported, however crews had to make use of floor ladders to succeed in hearth escapes and help unhoused individuals that had been exiting the vacant construction.
The property had been acquired by the AIDS Healthcare Basis final 12 months with plans to show it into 111 items of low-income housing after battling with a developer seeking to flip it right into a luxurious lodge and residential advanced.
The press conferencing saying the AHF plan to transform the property into inexpensive housing occurred virtually precisely a 12 months in the past and included Doorways drummer John Densmore and photographer Henry Diltz, who shot the album cowl.
Diltz and the band snuck into the lodge in the future whereas the clerk was busy (they didn’t have a allow) and took as many pictures as doable he may of the foursome — frontman Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, drummer John Densmore and guitarist Robby Krieger — beneath the arched “Morrison Lodge” signal within the window earlier than dashing out once more.
Morrison Lodge, the band’s fifth studio album, got here from Elektra Information and featured the hits “Peace Frog,” “Ready for the Solar” and “Roadhouse Blues.” The album was launched on February 9, 1970, lower than 18 months earlier than Morrison would die of an overdose in Paris at age 27.
