1973 — Nov 15, Stratford Apartments building fire, Los Angeles, CA — 25

–25 National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). Key Dates in Fire History. 1996.
–25 NFPA. “Multiple-Death Fires, 1973,” Fire Journal. V. 68, N. 3, May 1974, p. 70.
–25 National Fire Protection Association. The 1984 Fire Almanac. 1983, p. 237.
–25 National Fire Sprinkler Association. F.Y.I. 1999, p. 7.
–25 Sharry. “Apartment Fire. 25 Dead, 29 Injured.” NFPA Fire Journal, V. 68, N. 4, July 1968.

Narrative Information

NFPA: “Residential. Apartment building, Los Angeles, California. A fire on November 15 in a three-story stucco-clad wood-frame building resulted in death to 25 persons and injury to 51. Fire started in the first-floor lobby, raced up two open stairways, and mushroomed on the third-floor. Occupants wo did not open their doors but waited by windows survived, while those who opened their hallway doors apparently succumbed to the intense heat and smoke.” (National Fire Protection Assoc. “Multiple-Death Fires, 1973,” Fire Journal. Vol. 68, No. 3, May 1974, p. 70.)

Sharry/NFPA: “Twenty-fire persons were killed and 59 were injured on Thursday, November 15, 1973, when a fire in the first-floor lobby of the Stratford Apartments in Los Angeles, California, raced up two open stairwells, trapping the occupants in their rooms.

“The Stratford Apartments was a three-and three-and-one-half-tory and basement frame stucco building, located at 1735 West Sixth Street. The building, which was occupied as a residential hotel, was approximately 45 years old. It housed 54 apartment units, and at the time of the fire is believed to have contained 150 persons.

“The building was “H” shaped… The two uprights of the “H” were three stories high and measured 40 by 115 feet. The cross piece of the “H” was three-and-one-half-stories high and measured 35 by 40 feet.

“Partitions were constructed of wood lath and plaster on wood studs. Doors to the apartments were of the wood panel type. Interior finish consisted of wood paneling on wood nailers in the lobby, with painted wood lath and plaster throughout the rest of the building.

“Interior means of egress was by three open stairways. Two stairways ran from the lobby tot the third floor. The third stairway, located at the north end of the east wing, also ran from the first to the third floors. Three exterior metal fire escapes were provided at each end of the west wing and on the south end of the east wing. Access to these fire escape stairs was by means of French doors that opened onto a small bal¬cony on each floor. In some instances these doors had been nailed shut to prevent prowlers from entering. Exits from the first floor consisted of the lobby doors, a door at the north end of each wing, and French doors at the south end of each wing. First-floor windows were partially covered with an iron grillwork that prevented their use for escape…

“Fire protection consisted of fire extinguishers. There was no fire alarm equipment of any type.

“The fire was reported at 11:19 pm by a resident of an apartment building across the street, who saw flames in the lobby area. This was the first and only call re¬ceived by the Fire Department. Two task forces and a battalion chief were dispatched. First arriving units found heavy fire involvement on all three floors, with the building’s occupants hanging out of windows wait¬ing for rescue. Ten additional task forces were dis¬patched while the first alarm units attempted to rescue persons on all floors. Some occupants made sheet ropes and attempted to escape to the ground by that means, while others jumped out of the windows. In all, it is estimated that over 60 persons were rescued from the upper floors by fire fighters. The fire was under control by 11:45 pm.

“While the fire was being knocked down and after¬wards, fire fighters found 17 dead on the third floor, two dead on the second floor, and one body on the first floor. In addition, five of the occupants who jumped died later, bringing the total number of dead to 25. Of the 25 dead, nine were children. Fire fighters report finding most of the fatalities in or near their apartment doorways. A few were found in the hallway.

“This fire again points out the hazard of open stair¬wells. The fire quickly spread from the lobby, where it had been set, up both front stairwells, mushrooming out on each upper floor. The rapidity of the fire spread and the intensity of the fire on the third floor are at¬tested to by the large number of fatalities on the third floor. It is interesting to note that occupants who did not open their doors, but retreated to windows for res¬cue, survived, while those who had not been informed of the dangers of opening hallway doors apparently succumbed to the intense heat and smoke after they did so.

“This building came under a Los Angeles city ordi¬nance that called for the enclosing of stairways or other suitable measures in residential buildings of three or more stories. The ordinance, which was passed in November 1971 and took effect on January 1, 1972, provided a four-year period during which owners of buildings that did not conform could upgrade their protection to an acceptable level. This grace period would have been up January 1, 1975. Since the fire, the ordinance has been amended, giving building owners six months to comply or have their building demol¬ished.” (Sharry, John A. “Apartment Fire. 25 Dead, 29 Injured.” NFPA Fire Journal, Vol. 68, No. 4, July 1968.)

Sources

National Fire Protection Association. Key Dates in Fire History. 1996. Accessed 2010 at: http://www.nfpa.org/itemDetail.asp?categoryID=1352&itemID=30955&URL=Research%20&%20Reports/Fire%20statistics/Key%20dates%20in%20fire%20history&cookie%5Ftest=1

National Fire Protection Association. “Multiple-Death Fires, 1973,” Fire Journal. Vol. 68, No. 3, May 1974, pp. 69-71 & 76.

National Fire Protection Association. The 1984 Fire Almanac. Quincy, MA: NFPA, 1983.

National Fire Sprinkler Association, Inc. F.Y.I. – Fire Sprinkler Facts. Patterson, NY: NFSA, November 1999, 8 pages. Accessed at: http://www.firemarshals.org/data/File/docs/College%20Dorm/Administrators/F1%20-%20FIRE%20SPRINKLER%20FACTS.pdf

Press-Telegram, Long Beach, CA. “24 die in L.A.’s worst fire. Scores of tenants leap to safety – or to death.” 11-16-1973, p. 1. Accessed 12-29-2021 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/press-telegram-nov-16-1973-p-1/

Sharry, John A. “Apartment Fire. 25 Dead, 29 Injured.” NFPA Fire Journal, Vol. 68, No. 4, July 1968.