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Title
Files in disarray
Alternative Title
Los Angeles Public Library Institutional Photo Collection
Creator
Yonezawa, Pearl
Date Created and/or Issued
1986
Contributing Institution
Los Angeles Public Library
Collection
Los Angeles Public Library Photo Collection
Rights Information
Images available for reproduction and use. Please see the Ordering & Use page at http://tessa.lapl.org/OrderingUse.html for additional information.
Description
Los Angeles Public Library, located at 630 W. 5th Street suffered a devastating arson fire on April 29, 1986 which started at approximately 10:52 am. Within 5 minutes of the first alarm, fire trucks arrived on the scene but only saw light smoke emiting from the east side of the roof. But mere moments later, firefighters discovered fire in the walls - the concrete and dense design of the building allowed heat to build up rapidly inside. By 1:00 pm, the fire had extended almost 300 feet on the second floor through the building, and was visible in the west windows of the "Patent Room", which was located on the west end of the building on the mezzanine level. It was estimated that the temperatures were well over 2000 degrees Fahrenheit and crews had to be rotated every 15-20 minutes due to the heat and smoke they were experiencing. The enormous fire required a virtual army to extinguish it, including 60 fire companies, 40 command officers and support personnel, 9 rescue ambulances, 4 salvage companies, 3 helicopters, 2 emergency air units, and 1 arson unit, for a total of almost 350 Fire Department and Paramedic personnel. Finally, at 6:30 pm the fire was declared a "knock down" by the Fire Chief in charge. An estimated loss of $2 million to the structure and $20 million to the contents occurred. Approximately 400,000 volumes - 20 percent of the library's holdings - were destroyed, with significant water and smoke damage done to the surviving works. After an intense investigation, it was determined that the fire was intentionally set on the 5th tier of the northeast stack. The arsonist was never caught. Architects Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue and Carlton M. Winslow designed the original Los Angeles Central Library in the architectural style of ancient Egypt and it was built between 1922-1926.
Interior view of an office at Central Library, April 29, 1986. Files and paperwork are scattered on the floor.
Type
image
Format
1 photographic print :b&w
Photographic prints
Identifier
00047925
Los Angeles Public Library Institutional Collection
LAPL_IPC_b029_f2
CARL0000052271
http://173.196.26.125/cdm/ref/collection/photos/id/103502
Subject
Central Library (Los Angeles, Calif.)
Los Angeles Public Library
Central Library Fire, Calif., 1986
Libraries--California--Los Angeles
Fires--California--Los Angeles
Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monuments
Goodhue, Bertram Grosvenor,1869-1924
Winslow, Carelton M
Downtown Los Angeles (Los Angeles, Calif.)

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