The Morrison Hotel, an iconic symbol of rock history made famous by The Doors, was tragically set on fire by a group of squatters who refused to leave its premises. This devastating loss not only erases a cherished piece of cultural heritage but also highlights the growing challenges posed by urban decay and lax enforcement in cities grappling with homelessness and lawlessness.
The famous four-story Los Angeles landmark burned for at least two hours while nearly 100 firefighters attempted to put it out. Not long after the fire alarm bell began ringing, dozens of homeless people ran out of the building. Investigators suggest squatters caused the fire, an ongoing problem for the AIDS Healthcare Foundation— the hotel’s current owners.
“Last week when we cleared the building, there were about 15 [homeless people inside],” Mark Dyer of the AIDS foundation told Fox News 11. “As soon as we secure the building, the homeless come up with power tools within hours and just cut the locks off.”
The hotel has been red-tagged and confirmed as unlivable. Although it had been vacant for about ten years, Dyer said the foundation planned to renovate it and create another 111 units.
“In the fire department, we say there are no vacant buildings in the City of Los Angeles," David Ortiz from the Los Angeles Fire Department said. "A lot of the large, unhoused community uses these vacant buildings as their temporary residences. Several dozen [today] were seen self-evacuating at the time of the fire.”
A massive fire Thursday heavily damaged a historic downtown Los Angeles building that once housed the iconic Morrison Hotel, made famous by The Doors. https://t.co/GQzceEE4I4 pic.twitter.com/2WYV5ZxLhX
— ABC7 Eyewitness News (@ABC7) December 27, 2024
Henry Diltz, the photographer who shot The Doors album cover, said it was “very sad” to see the historic hotel burn down in flames. He told CBS News Los Angeles that he hoped somebody would rebuild it.
The squatter situation in Los Angeles has spiraled out of control in recent years and has become a glaring constant of the city’s failure to address homelessness. The issue has only gotten worse as its Democrat city leaders continue to focus on progressive policies that prioritize so-called "housing justice" over accountability. Oftentimes, abandoned buildings and homes are taken over by squatters, which usually bring crime, drug use, and health hazards into residential areas. Meanwhile, American taxpayers and property owners bear the burden because their rights are neglected to enable lawlessness.
