Re “Fire erupts in apartment building in Beverly Hills,” Sept. 10 issue

The apartment fire that occurred at 232 S. Rexford in Beverly Hills last week was no doubt frightening for all residents there. But it was a real tragedy for those who lost personal property and were displaced. It is a tragedy, but we can’t necessarily call it unforeseen.

Multifamily apartment house fires are not uncommon in Beverly Hills because old age and poor maintenance render some rental properties firetraps. People are surprised to learn that an owner is not required to update old fuse boxes or to replace ancient wiring – systems that were never intended to carry today’s higher electrical loads. In my building, a simple toaster would regularly trip the breaker.

The building at 232 S. Rexford is 97 years old yet the city’s online permit record shows that not a single permit has been pulled for repair of electrical or plumbing systems (or indeed any kind of repair or remodeling at all). That kind of scant maintenance is representative of many rental properties in the city because Beverly Hills has no program to regularly inspect apartment houses for fire safety or for any other reason.

For years, city tenants have called for an inspection program but city hall has so far failed to act.

Beyond proper maintenance, the humble smoke alarm is our only line of defense against a fire. But too often these $10 devices are kept in service far beyond the manufacturer’s recommended service life. Worse, I myself have seen alarms that are either missing the battery or are not hardwired to building power (as the law requires).

Who’s checking? There is a state law that mandates regular smoke alarm inspections, but the fire department’s own report after an apartment house fire on Lasky Drive in 2023 noted that none of the eight displaced households ever heard a chirp from their smoke alarms.

Such fires could be largely prevented were the city to make an effort to improve fire safety for residents who live in multifamily apartment buildings. But there is no cavalry coming to their rescue. Residents should know that they may be one short-circuit away from homelessness.

Mark Elliot

Beverly Hills