Woman Dies in 4-Story Plunge

A woman who plummeted from a fourth-story window as fire burned her Hollywood apartment Tuesday night was killed when she was impaled on a wrought iron fence.

Los Angeles Fire Department officials Wednesday were still investigating the fire at the Lido Apartments in the 6500 block of Yucca Street, but said it appeared to have been caused by a “carelessly discarded heat source,” such as a cigarette.

Fire Department spokesman Brian Humphrey said a smoke detector in the apartment “had been ripped out of the wall.”

The fire broke out about 10:30 p.m. in the apartment. A man who shared the unit escaped out the door. He was treated for smoke inhalation.

Authorities said they did not know whether the woman jumped or fell from the window, or why she did not escape with the man.

“We still don’t know why she wasn’t able to or chose not to leave,” Humphrey said. Although the building has fire escapes, the window the woman dropped from did not open onto one, he said.

Authorities said both tenants were in their 50s. Their names were not released.

The building was opened in 1928 as a hotel. Its lobby was pictured on the Eagles’ record album “Hotel California.” Fire officials said it met building code requirements.

It took 75 firefighters about 25 minutes to extinguish the blaze, which caused an estimated $30,000 damage.

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Times staff writer Jose Cardenas contributed to this report.