Early Monday morning, residents and staff of an assisted living facility in West Hills faced a crisis when a fire erupted in the building's attic. According to a CBS News report, the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) was alerted to the situation just before 5:20 a.m. at the property located on the 7600 block of N. Faust Avenue. Firefighters arriving discovered smoke billowing through the home and had to make several incisions in the roof to ventilate the structure.
The facility operates 24/7 providing care for elderly residents, who at the time of the fire were reported to be seven in number. According to the fire department, the blaze forced five bed-ridden individuals to shelter in place while they fought the flames. After assessing the situation, it was found that none of the patients had sustained critical injuries, with all being treated right there at the scene by paramedics.
Corroborating the information, the LAFD's incident alert indicated that the fire was out at 5:51 a.m., with all hot spots in the attic fully extinguished within 32 minutes of their arrival. Smoke was cleared from the interior of the residence, which contrary to earlier reports, housed six patients who were all transported to the hospital for non-life-threatening medical complaints.
While residents received help from firefighters, the cause of the fire is still being looked into by arson investigators. Details of the investigation remain limited as of this writing.
