Packed In: Overcrowded housing in Los Angeles has brought death by design to the area’s streets, where residents often have to step over each other in their rush to get in, authorities said.
“At my house, I heard this horrible crash,” said Maria Llorca, a neighbor who lives in the Pico Union neighborhood.
Llorca said one person was hurled from a building in Pico, and another slipped in the street. She said she believes the residents on the other side of the fence knew the dangers of the area before the construction.
“In the past, there was more space,” she said. “This is why the crime is so high. People have to squeeze onto the street.”
Llorca, who was unable to be reached for comment, said she was glad there is now more space.
“I’m so happy now,” she said. “This was a horrible situation.”
Pico Union resident Paul Martinez said that after a neighbor’s home was destroyed by fire, she moved a mile away and found a nicer neighborhood.
“She was afraid to take a chance on the area, because of what happened to her neighbor,” Martinez said.
Martinez said she’s glad the death toll is declining.
“My condolences go out to the family and relatives of the person who died in the fire,” he said. “This is a tragic and unfortunate incident, but we have to keep moving forward.”
City Hall is closed while investigators work to determine the cause of the fire, which broke out around 2:30 a.m. and was extinguished by about 11 p.m. the previous day.
The Fire Department’s Engine 4, the ambulance and the coroner’s office are investigating, as well as the L.A. Fire Department, the Los Angeles Fire Department and Los Angeles County Fire Department, according to Fire Department spokesman Michael Terrazas.
On Wednesday morning, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa’s office announced that the police department had conducted a preliminary investigation of the blaze, which was reported at the corner of P
