[lbo-talk] a day in the neighborhood

Dennis Claxton ddclaxton at earthlink.net
Fri Sep 17 13:12:43 PDT 2010


I live in this complex. I can't get that Peggy Lee song out of my head. The one with the line "is that all there is to a fire?":

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/09/fire-burns-roof-of-historic-koreatown-apartment-building.html#more

Firefighters extinguished a possible arson blaze Friday in the attic of a historic apartment building in Koreatown....

The cause of the fire has not been determined, but officials are treating it as a potential arson.

Residents said it was the latest in a string of what appeared to be targeted attacks against the Versailles Apartments in two days. Jeff Brooks, director of operations for Wexford Management, confirmed that another fire had started in the management office early Thursday morning. And before Friday morning's blaze, someone had fired gunshots into a workout room in the front of the building.

No one was injured in either of the incidents.

Brooks declined to comment further, and residents said the apparent attacks were out of character in the generally quiet neighborhood.

"The area's well-patrolled -- people walk their dogs in the morning. You come out at 3 a.m. or 4 a.m.," said Fred Fayne, 47, a resident of one of the apartments in the three-building complex.

Residents John Dillon, 25, and Stephanie McGinnis, 24, said the incident has them thinking of moving, and they will take extra precautions in the meantime.

"My plan is to move everything I care about out of the house until this subsides for a while," Dillon said.

Top photo: More than 200 firefighters respond to a that fire burned through the roof of a six-story apartment building in Koreatown. Credit: Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times

Bottom photo: Soraya Kabbaj hugs her dog after safely evacuating the Versailles Apartments. Credit: Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times



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