A fierce and unexplained fire erupted on the morning of August 30, shrouding downtown Los Angeles’ Jobber Market in billowing black smoke. This unfortunate incident took place within a commercial building, leaving an indelible mark on the lives of a Korean American senior couple who had diligently operated a blanket store within its walls for over three decades. As flames devoured their hopes and livelihood, they stood helpless, witnessing years of hard work reduced to ashes.
Rushing to the scene after receiving news, the store’s owner, in his 80s, could only stand by as the flames consumed his establishment. Overwhelmed by shock and disbelief, he expressed his grief in an interview with the Korea Daily, stating, “My mind goes blank,” while his wife, equally stunned, remained immobilized in their car.
The Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) swiftly responded to the fire report, dispatching firefighters to a two-story commercial building located near the junction of South L.A. Street and 12th Avenue around 5:50 a.m. The establishment housed not only the blanket store owned by the elderly couple but also a jeans store and a kitchen appliance outlet. Tragically, the blaze consumed the entire structure, along with all three businesses it contained.
The heart-wrenching story of the elderly couple who operated the blanket store unraveled. Having immigrated to the United States five decades ago, they had dedicated 30 years to cultivating their futon-selling enterprise within the ill-fated building. On that fateful day, as they arrived to open their store, billows of smoke and a procession of fire trucks greeted them, sending shockwaves through their hearts.
Surveying the charred remnants of their once-thriving establishment, the elderly couple was consumed by anguish. “It’s a tragedy that the fire occurred just as I was contemplating retirement,” lamented the husband. Their devastation deepened as he confessed, “I am at a loss for how to cope with the damages, as I had no insurance coverage.”
Sympathetic Korean American business owners who witnessed the blaze also expressed concern. One of them, who had been selling bags for 25 years, voiced suspicions about the involvement of homeless individuals who resided in the alley behind the razed building. “I suspect that homeless people set the fire,” he speculated, underscoring the precariousness of the situation.
Further adding to the speculation, another Korean American business owner shared, “Reports suggest the fire originated in a trash can located in the alley behind the building, subsequently engulfing the structure.” It was surmised that some item placed in the trash can by homeless inhabitants might have triggered the flames, leading to the catastrophic outcome.
The building was built in 1907, the structure encompassed a vast area totaling 16,800 square feet. Remarkably, the city’s Department of Building Safety (DBS) had recorded no fire-related incidents nor conducted safety inspections within the premises.
As of 7:32 p.m. on October 30, the fire was officially declared extinguished, though its devastating aftermath lingered. LAFD’s Nicholas Prange disclosed, “The exact cause of the fire has not been determined,” underscoring the complexities involved in ascertaining the source amidst collapsed portions of the building. Approximately 120 firefighters valiantly battled the flames, and fortunately, no injuries were reported.
BY YEJIN KIM [kim.yejin3@koreadaily.com]
