Archinect - News

In honor of Guy Fawkes Day, check out these semi-regular communal fires

2015-11-05T13:42:00-05:00

November 5th marks the celebration of Guy Fawkes day in the U.K., in which bonfires are lit to celebrate the capture of the titular royal traitor and the subsequent preservation of the life of King James I in 1605.

Of course, lighting things on fire to commemorate dates isn't limited to the Brits: every October 30th, Detroit, Michigan braces for "Devil's Night," where structures are randomly torched by vandals and other assorted ne'er-do-wells. The night originally had gentler, more mischevious overtones when it began in the 1930s, but reached a dangerous zenith in the 1980s. By 1995, the mayor of Detroit launched "Angel's Night" to combat the fires, although acts of arson still occur.

And then there's Burning Man, the annual desert concert/DIY/pop-up village held at the tail end of August in Nevada in which giant artworks (and many of the attendees) get toasted.

Arson suspect arrested in connection with downtown LA "Da Vinci" fire

2015-05-29T12:55:00-04:00

A 56-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of arson in connection with a fire that destroyed a downtown Los Angeles apartment complex last year, causing tens of millions of dollars in damage to the unfinished structure and a nearby city-owned building [...]. Abdulwali’s arrest followed an intense investigation that began even before firefighters fully extinguished the Dec. 8 blaze at the seven-story Da Vinci complex.

Previously:

Bad news for good taste - burnt Da Vinci apartments expected to be rebuilt in 10 months

2015-04-20T17:17:00-04:00

A rise from the ashes had always been in [developer Geoff] Palmer's mind for this charred housing project; he'd said in a statement back in December that the devastation at the building on the south side of Temple Street was just a 'temporary loss.' Now that all the wreckage from the fire has been cleared off the site, construction can begin.

The kind of "renaissance" (sorry) that many locals are probably not very thrilled about...

Previously:

L.A. fire officials reveal new details about potential suspect in Da Vinci arson case

2015-03-31T15:32:00-04:00

Officials have offered a $170,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction of the arsonist behind the blaze that consumed a seven-story building in the Da Vinci apartment complex and damaged the freeway and neighboring buildings. Investigators believe the suspect 'torched that building up from the freeway side and then escaped'...

Well, L.A. fire officials are revealing some details. The L.A. Times reports that L.A. Fire Department Battalion Chief Steve Ruda informed Echo Park neighborhood council members last week that authorities have surveillance footage allegedly showing the suspect of the fire that engulfed a 7-story structure in the Da Vinci apartment complex last December. A few weeks later, federal investigators determined the fire was arson. City officials estimate the December blaze caused between $25 million-$30 million in damage.

Ruda described that the footage shows the suspect parking their vehicle on the 110 Freeway and then walking into the half-built structure with cans of fuel. While the suspect is said to still be at large, the LAFD and law enforcement are continuing further investigation into the case. However, further details of collected evidence are not currently being released "to protect the integrity of the investigation," according to Ruda.

Footage of the possible suspect has not been...

Downtown LA fire determined to be arson... Architecture hate crime?

2014-12-19T13:18:00-05:00

The ATF national response team, at the end of its investigation, reaches one of three conclusions – incendiary, accidental, or undetermined. Given Thursday’s conclusion that the fire was determined to be "incendiary," or deliberately set, local authorities will probably launch an arson investigation to identify those responsible for the blaze.

Previously: Huge downtown Los Angeles fire burns towering apartment project