Knowledge (XXG)

First Interstate Tower fire

Source 📝

129: 377: 363: 25: 302:
A total of 270 firefighters from 55 different companies and 4 helicopters were all called in to fight the fire. One firefighter with the Los Angeles Fire Department told reporters; "I was not sure we could hold it" due to the intensely hot blaze fueled by the synthetic fabrics and furnishings in the
294:
of lighting circuit currents. The fire was first alerted around 10:22pm on May 4, 1988 when a smoke detector on the 12th floor of the building activated. However, due to ongoing work on the sprinkler system being installed that evening, security personal immediately silenced the alarm, believing the
298:
A maintenance worker, Alexander Handy, took a service elevator to the 12th floor in order to investigate the smoke detectors, however he ultimately died when the elevator opened onto the burning 12th floor. Around 50 people were believed to be occupying the building at the time of the fire, with 37
322:
Repair work took four months. Because of the fire, Los Angeles building codes were changed, requiring all high-rises to be equipped with fire sprinklers. This modified a 1974 ordinance that only required new buildings to contain fire sprinkler systems.
282:, which were not required for office towers at the time construction was completed in 1973. A sprinkler system was 90% installed at the time of the fire but was inoperative, awaiting the installation of water flow alarms. 295:
activation to be a false alarm. Within six minutes, almost every smoke detector from floors 12 through 30 activated. The fire was not reported to emergency services until people outside the building called 911.
270:. The fire destroyed five floors of the building, injured 40 people, and caused the death of a maintenance worker, when the elevator he was riding opened onto the burning 12th floor. 815: 319:
on support members was a significant mitigating factor. The fireproofing used to protect the steel was Monokote supplied by GCP Applied Technologies (formerly W. R. Grace).
468: 312: 820: 810: 128: 42: 805: 267: 629: 89: 183: 61: 756:"Exorbitant cost of sprinklers puts almost 200 in violation of fire law. (Los Angeles; high rise office buildings; fire safety laws)" 472: 108: 68: 600: 476: 75: 46: 780: 736:"Putting out the fire. (disaster contingency plan for high-rise fire at First Interstate Bank of California, Los Angeles)" 710: 520: 800: 795: 176: 57: 576: 35: 259: 299:
individuals injured including 3 firefighters. Five individuals were rescued from the rooftop via helicopter.
263: 165: 577:"A $ 50 Million Lesson in Fire Containment; Passive fire compartmentation offers hope when all else fails" 551: 82: 662: 279: 498: 303:
building. The fire, which resulted in $ 50 million in damages, was eventually contained at 2:19 AM.
434: 663:"Adding Film to the Fire : Re-Enacted for TV, First Interstate Blaze Is Relived by Survivors" 393:- a 38-story building destroyed by fire 3 years later while a sprinkler system was being installed 422: 416: 390: 382: 344: 637: 444: 410: 400: 684: 396: 443:- a unrelated series of explosions, the largest being 1KT TNT equivalent, that happened in 440: 428: 255: 437:- a 14 June 2017 destruction of a London 24-story high-rise which had no sprinkler system 290:
The fire's origin has been attributed to overloading of electrical wiring by reactive
789: 348: 169: 368: 316: 406: 362: 24: 755: 718: 524: 358: 340: 291: 641: 198: 185: 735: 781:
Los Angeles Fire Department Historical Archive: First Interstate Bank Fire
332: 630:"Los Angeles High-Rise Fire Kills 1; Officials Cite Lack of Sprinklers" 49: in this article. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. 711:"How L.A.'s worst high-rise fire spread. (First Interstate Tower)" 278:
The fire was so severe because the building was not equipped with
258:
that occurred on May 4, 1988, at the First Interstate Tower (now
218: 628:
Reinhold, Robert; Times, Special To the New York (1988-05-06).
18: 425:– a 2009 fire in a tower block in Camberwell, South London 409:- a 1974 fire which burned through a 25-story building in 399:- a 1972 fire which burned through a 32-story building in 133:
The First Interstate Tower, with several floors burning.
266:, a 62-story, 860 foot (260 m) skyscraper, then the 240: 232: 224: 214: 175: 161: 153: 138: 499:"Open Fire Door Blamed in First Interstate Death" 469:"Technical Report, Interstate Bank Building Fire" 552:"Interstate Bank Building Fire Los Angeles 1988" 816:Commercial building fires in the United States 8: 463: 461: 121: 601:"First Interstate Bank Fire–25 Years Later" 127: 120: 685:"Review: Fire! Trapped on the 37th Floor" 109:Learn how and when to remove this message 457: 429:2017 Plasco Building fire and collapse 7: 821:High-rise fires in the United States 811:May 1988 events in the United States 623: 621: 545: 543: 541: 331:The fire was dramatized in the 1991 47:adding citations to reliable sources 16:1988 fire in Los Angeles, California 715:Building Design & Construction 14: 473:United States Fire Administration 754:Stremfel, Michael (1990-10-29). 521:""Lifting" the Grounding Enigma" 519:Glasband, Eric (November 1994). 419:– destroyed a 28-story high-rise 375: 361: 315:, unusually good application of 23: 806:1988 fires in the United States 734:Emerson, Cole H. (1989-06-01). 550:Thompson, Kristy (2011-06-08). 497:Becklund, Laurie (1988-08-27). 337:Fire: Trapped on the 37th Floor 34:needs additional citations for 709:Gregerson, John (1989-02-01). 661:Jones, Charisse (1990-10-25). 523:. MIX Magazine. Archived from 1: 58:"First Interstate Tower fire" 760:Los Angeles Business Journal 268:tallest building in the city 228:Overloaded electrical system 252:First Interstate Tower fire 122:First Interstate Tower fire 837: 683:Tucker, Ken (1991-02-15). 313:FEMA fire incident report 126: 199:34.049222°N 118.257139°W 264:Los Angeles, California 166:Los Angeles, California 687:. Entertainment Weekly 204:34.049222; -118.257139 157:First Interstate Tower 142:May 4, 1988 43:improve this article 801:1988 in Los Angeles 796:Fires in California 740:Security Management 435:Grenfell Tower fire 327:Cultural references 195: /  123: 634:The New York Times 581:Architect Magazine 423:Lakanal House fire 417:2010 Shanghai fire 391:One Meridian Plaza 383:Los Angeles portal 345:Lisa Hartman Black 241:Non-fatal injuries 605:FirefighterNation 445:Henderson, Nevada 431:– in Tehran, Iran 411:Sao Paulo, Brazil 401:Sao Paulo, Brazil 311:According to the 248: 247: 119: 118: 111: 93: 828: 770: 768: 766: 750: 748: 746: 730: 728: 726: 717:. Archived from 696: 695: 693: 692: 680: 674: 673: 671: 670: 665:. The L.A. Times 658: 652: 651: 649: 648: 625: 616: 615: 613: 612: 597: 591: 590: 588: 587: 575:Corning, Owens. 572: 566: 565: 563: 562: 547: 536: 535: 533: 532: 516: 510: 509: 507: 506: 501:. The L.A. Times 494: 488: 487: 485: 484: 475:. Archived from 465: 385: 380: 379: 378: 371: 366: 365: 210: 209: 207: 206: 205: 200: 196: 193: 192: 191: 188: 149: 147: 131: 124: 114: 107: 103: 100: 94: 92: 51: 27: 19: 836: 835: 831: 830: 829: 827: 826: 825: 786: 785: 777: 764: 762: 753: 744: 742: 733: 724: 722: 708: 705: 703:Further reading 700: 699: 690: 688: 682: 681: 677: 668: 666: 660: 659: 655: 646: 644: 627: 626: 619: 610: 608: 599: 598: 594: 585: 583: 574: 573: 569: 560: 558: 549: 548: 539: 530: 528: 518: 517: 513: 504: 502: 496: 495: 491: 482: 480: 467: 466: 459: 454: 441:PEPCON Disaster 381: 376: 374: 367: 360: 357: 329: 309: 288: 280:fire sprinklers 276: 203: 201: 197: 194: 189: 186: 184: 182: 181: 145: 143: 134: 115: 104: 98: 95: 52: 50: 40: 28: 17: 12: 11: 5: 834: 832: 824: 823: 818: 813: 808: 803: 798: 788: 787: 784: 783: 776: 775:External links 773: 772: 771: 751: 731: 704: 701: 698: 697: 675: 653: 617: 592: 567: 537: 511: 489: 456: 455: 453: 450: 449: 448: 438: 432: 426: 420: 414: 404: 394: 387: 386: 372: 356: 353: 328: 325: 308: 305: 287: 284: 275: 272: 256:high-rise fire 246: 245: 242: 238: 237: 234: 230: 229: 226: 222: 221: 216: 212: 211: 179: 173: 172: 163: 159: 158: 155: 151: 150: 140: 136: 135: 132: 117: 116: 31: 29: 22: 15: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 833: 822: 819: 817: 814: 812: 809: 807: 804: 802: 799: 797: 794: 793: 791: 782: 779: 778: 774: 761: 757: 752: 741: 737: 732: 721:on 2012-11-04 720: 716: 712: 707: 706: 702: 686: 679: 676: 664: 657: 654: 643: 639: 635: 631: 624: 622: 618: 607:. May 4, 2013 606: 602: 596: 593: 582: 578: 571: 568: 557: 553: 546: 544: 542: 538: 527:on 2013-06-22 526: 522: 515: 512: 500: 493: 490: 479:on 2010-10-04 478: 474: 470: 464: 462: 458: 451: 447:the same day. 446: 442: 439: 436: 433: 430: 427: 424: 421: 418: 415: 412: 408: 405: 402: 398: 395: 392: 389: 388: 384: 373: 370: 364: 359: 354: 352: 350: 349:Peter Scolari 346: 342: 338: 334: 326: 324: 320: 318: 314: 306: 304: 300: 296: 293: 285: 283: 281: 273: 271: 269: 265: 261: 257: 253: 243: 239: 235: 231: 227: 223: 220: 217: 213: 208: 190:118°15′25.7″W 180: 178: 174: 171: 170:United States 167: 164: 160: 156: 152: 141: 137: 130: 125: 113: 110: 102: 91: 88: 84: 81: 77: 74: 70: 67: 63: 60: –  59: 55: 54:Find sources: 48: 44: 38: 37: 32:This article 30: 26: 21: 20: 763:. Retrieved 759: 743:. Retrieved 739: 723:. Retrieved 719:the original 714: 689:. Retrieved 678: 667:. Retrieved 656: 645:. Retrieved 633: 609:. Retrieved 604: 595: 584:. Retrieved 580: 570: 559:. Retrieved 555: 529:. Retrieved 525:the original 514: 503:. Retrieved 492: 481:. Retrieved 477:the original 397:Andraus Fire 369:1980s portal 336: 330: 321: 317:fireproofing 310: 301: 297: 289: 277: 251: 249: 105: 96: 86: 79: 72: 65: 53: 41:Please help 36:verification 33: 407:Joelma Fire 339:, starring 202: / 187:34°2′57.2″N 177:Coordinates 790:Categories 691:2017-10-19 669:2017-10-19 647:2021-09-08 611:2021-09-08 586:2021-09-08 561:2021-09-08 531:2012-12-13 505:2017-10-19 483:2009-11-21 452:References 341:Lee Majors 292:distortion 274:Background 260:Aon Center 146:1988-05-04 69:newspapers 642:0362-4331 307:Aftermath 99:July 2020 355:See also 333:telefilm 162:Location 765:13 July 745:13 July 725:13 July 144: ( 83:scholar 640:  254:was a 233:Deaths 85:  78:  71:  64:  56:  262:) in 225:Cause 154:Venue 90:JSTOR 76:books 767:2010 747:2010 727:2010 638:ISSN 556:NIST 347:and 286:Fire 250:The 219:Fire 215:Type 139:Date 62:news 45:by 792:: 758:. 738:. 713:. 636:. 632:. 620:^ 603:. 579:. 554:. 540:^ 471:. 460:^ 351:. 343:, 335:, 244:40 168:, 769:. 749:. 729:. 694:. 672:. 650:. 614:. 589:. 564:. 534:. 508:. 486:. 413:. 403:. 236:1 148:) 112:) 106:( 101:) 97:( 87:· 80:· 73:· 66:· 39:.

Index


verification
improve this article
adding citations to reliable sources
"First Interstate Tower fire"
news
newspapers
books
scholar
JSTOR
Learn how and when to remove this message

Los Angeles, California
United States
Coordinates
34°2′57.2″N 118°15′25.7″W / 34.049222°N 118.257139°W / 34.049222; -118.257139
Fire
high-rise fire
Aon Center
Los Angeles, California
tallest building in the city
fire sprinklers
distortion
FEMA fire incident report
fireproofing
telefilm
Lee Majors
Lisa Hartman Black
Peter Scolari
icon

Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.