Historic Westlake building, home of the former Pacific Dining Car, goes up in flames
Pacific Dining Car knocked down after fire
The historic Pacific Dining Car burned down in a fires, the latest in one of several fires there recently.
LOS ANGELES - Los Angeles firefighters were forced to demolish the historic building in the Westlake District on Thursday after extinguishing a third destructive fire at the vacant building in less than a year.
Part of the building was the former Pacific Dining Car, a historic steakhouse in the City of Angels.
What we know:
Firefighters responded to the vacant two-story building that went up in flames at the intersection of 6th and Witmer streets just before 6:55 a.m.
Arriving firefighters reported seeing flames coming from the first and second levels, in addition to the attached restaurant.
A short time later, additional resources were requested for the firefight. Aerial images from SkyFOX showed smoke could be seen for miles.
By 7:30 a.m., firefighters were in defensive mode and were aiming to save the property. Fire officials also confirmed most of the fire was in the attic and roof of the building.
A crew of about 100 firefighters were at the scene and the fire was declared a knockdown in 45 minutes.
"We’re here to demo this historic building with pure sadness," said LAFD Captain Richard Diede.
Crews go into defensive mode in Westlake blaze
Firefighters were working to knock down a fire that erupted in the Westlake District on Thursday morning. Later that morning, firefighters were in defensive mode and were aiming to save the building, which house the former Pacific Dining Car.
No injuries were reported to civilians or firefighters.
Historic restaurant
The Dining Car was known for great steaks and 24-hour service. It also appeared in movies like "Training Day" and HBO's "Shameless." In 2023, it was named a Historic Cultural Monument by the Los Angeles City Council.
"I’m very sad," said Richard Schave, a preservationist with Esotouric. "This has been a long goodbye."
The restaurant was forced to close because of the pandemic in 2020 and has sat vacant since then.
"I’ve been mourning the loss of this place ever since it closed," said Kim Cooper, a preservationist with Esotouric.
Cause of fire
What we don't know:
The cause of Thursday’s fire remains under investigation, but witnesses say people were seen leaving the building as flames grew.
There are several homeless camps near the restaurant where at least three fires have taken place last year.
"Every vacant building at this point is considered occupied," said Schave. "Meaning, there are people squatting in them because they have nowhere else to go."
"If you’re camping in an abandoned building, there’s just so many ways a fire can start," said Cooper.
Cellphone video from December shows at least one homeless person leaving the historic Morrison Hotel as it burned. While massive flames earlier this month destroyed buildings on Flower Street that were also considered vacant.
"We just get into this vicious circle of an attractive nuisance compounding itself, until it becomes an empty lot of dust," said Schave.
Firefighters demolished much of the remaining Dining Car Thursday out of fear it would collapse.
"We don’t want to lose any more of these places we care about," said Cooper. "We want the city to take responsibility if the owners won’t."
The Source: Information for this story was provided by the Los Angeles Fire Department, Stu Mundel's reporting from SkyFOX, FOX 11's Matthew Seedorff, and the Pacific Dining Car website.