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LA investigating abandoned Studio City property
An abandoned property in Studio City has drawn the attention of Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass. This comes as neighbor have rang the alarm on the abandoned property before it recently caught fire.
LOS ANGELES - A long-standing neighborhood hazard culminated in an early morning fire in Studio City, drawing direct intervention from Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass while igniting a public dispute between her administration and Councilmember Nithya Raman over who was notified.
What we know:
A fire broke out around 3:30 a.m. at an abandoned property in Studio City on Friday, causing structural damage to an adjacent home.
According to local residents, the unmaintained property has been a source of safety complaints for five years, functioning as an unmonitored camping site for unhoused individuals and featuring an unmaintained swimming pool.
Following the incident, Mayor Bass visited the site, spoke with impacted neighbors, and coordinated with the Department of Building and Safety to erect a temporary fence.
City crews are scheduled to clear the lot and build a permanent perimeter fence to prevent further trespassing.
What we don't know:
The cause of the fire is unknown. It's unclear if any individuals were inside the structure when the fire began.
City officials have not detailed why administrative action to secure or declare the property a public nuisance was delayed over the five-year period reported by residents.
Timeline:
Neighborhood complaints regarding the abandoned property began as early as 2020, with nearby residents contacting local representatives over safety concerns.
In November, Councilmember Nithya Raman's office formally flagged the address to the mayor's public works team, designating it as one of the top five property concerns in the council district.
The mayor's Deputy of Public Works acknowledged receipt of that communication at the time.
On the morning of the fire, Mayor Bass reported learning of the situation through television news coverage, leading to the immediate installation of a temporary fence, with full site clearance and permanent fencing scheduled for Friday.
What they're saying:
Mayor Bass stated that she relies on council offices to elevate severe localized issues, maintaining that she was personally unaware of the site prior to the broadcast.
"It didn't have to be this way," Bass said. "In a city of 3.8 million people that is 500 square miles, I definitely rely on my communication with the council offices and with their representatives in the city to alert us when they have problems like this."
Raman rejected the mayor's assertion in a written statement, pointing to recorded correspondence.
"We flagged this property directly to the mayor's office in November, 10 months ago," Raman said. "We have used every avenue we can to sound the alarm and nothing was done. For the mayor to now suggest this is simply a matter of the council office calling the departments ignores the reality. We have called, we have emailed, we have escalated, and we have brought this directly to her office months ago."
A neighbor describing the resident whose home was damaged noted the prolonged advocacy leading up to the blaze.
"Everyone can relate to this in this neighborhood with the fires that we've had over the last few years," the neighbor said. "But she has called since 2020. She's called, she's written letters, she has done all the right things."
What's next:
City municipal crews will enter the Studio City site to clear debris, remove public safety risks, and construct a permanent fence around the perimeter.
The Source: This report is based on statements from Mayor Karen Bass and local residents. Information regarding municipal communications was verified through an official statement and email records provided by Councilmember Nithya Raman's office.