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| Interstate Bank Building Fire Los Angeles, California
(May 4, 1988) |
| On Wednesday, May 4 and continuing in to May 5, 1988, the
Los Angeles City Fire Department responded to and extinguished
the most challenging and difficult high-rise fire in the city's
history. The fire destroyed four floors and damaged a fifth
floor of the modern 62 story First Interstate Bank building
in downtwon L.A., claimed one life, injured approximately
35 occupants and 14 fire personnel, and resulted in a property
loss of over $50 million.
This was one of the most destructive high-rise fires in
recent United States history. The fire presented the greatest
potential for the "Towering Inferno" scenario
of any U.S. fire experience and was controlled only through
the massive and dedicated manual fire suppression efforts
large metropolitan fire department. It demonstrated the
absolute need automatic sprinklers to provide protection
for tall buildings. |
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SUMMARY OF KEY ISSUES
| Occupancy |
62-story high-rise office
building. |
| Construction
|
Steel
frame; exterior of glass and aluminum.
Unusually good application of fire resistive coating
helped maintain structural integrity in fire. |
| Delayed
Reporting |
Building
security and maintenance personnel delayed notifying
Fire Department for 15 minutes after first evidence
of fire.
Smoke detectors
on several floors had been activated and reset
a number of times before reporting to Fire Department.
A maintenance
employee died while trying to investigate source
of alarms prior to calling Fire Department. |
| Automatic
Fire Sprinklers |
Sprinkler
system was installed in 90 percent of the building,
including on fire floors; valves controlling the
systems had been closed, awaiting installation
of water-flow alarms. |
| Interior
Design and Contents
|
Large open
area with readily combustible contents contributed
to quick fire growth. |
| System
Failures |
Main
fire pumps had been shut down, reducing available
water pressure for initial attack.
Radio
communications were overtaxed and disrupted
by building's steel frame.
Fire and
water damaged telephone
circuits
making them unusable.
Sound-powered
emergency phone system in building was ineffective. |
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