Vacant Hollywood home gets demolished after several fires in less than year

HOLLYWOOD, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A vacant home in Hollywood that has been set on fire numerous times went up in flames again on Thursday morning.

Jeanne Rice said she heard a loud knock on her door around 2 a.m. When she looked outside, she saw the neighboring property on North Wilton Place was on fire.

"We were watching it unfold, exactly what we were scared of," she said.

Last week, Rice and her neighbors voiced their fears about the vacant home to ABC7's investigative team.

There was a fire at the vacant home just two weeks ago. It was the sixth fire on the property since last summer, according to Los Angeles Fire Department records.

Despite a fence and window boards, neighbors say they have seen people living inside the vacant home.

"How much defense do we have to put up around ourselves to keep ourselves safe?" asked Hollywood resident Levi Freeman. "Clearly the people who are setting these fires are putting everyone else in danger."

Thursday's fire did so much damage, LAFD knocked the home down because it was deemed a safety hazard.

The property owner has yet to return messages on the latest fire, but he said last week he has wanted to demolish the building himself but has been waiting on a city permit.

The city's Department of Building and Safety on Thursday confirmed the owner filed the application for that permit last June. But a department spokesperson said, "...there are two pending clearances... with Los Angeles City Planning."

City Planning then sent a statement that said:

"As of the morning of Tuesday, April 29, the applicant... had not yet submitted an application to City Planning for the demolition permit... Planning staff reached out to the applicant... to guide them through the process of obtaining a demolition permit... City Planning cleared the permit today at 9:11 a.m."

That demolition permit was issued after Thursday morning's fire, and after LAFD demolition equipment was already on scene.

Even now that the home is gone, there are other vacant homes on the street, and neighbors are very worried that the fire danger is not yet over.