A massive blaze erupted in a Los Angeles high-rise building Wednesday morning — as firefighters talked two terrified residents out of jumping from the burning structure, authorities said.
The fire broke out on the sixth floor of a 25-story Wilshire Boulevard residential hi-rise, known as Barrington Plaza, just after 8:30 a.m. local time, according to fire officials.
One man was captured on video clinging to the outside of the tower on the 6th floor awaiting fire rescue.
“What we ended up doing was talking that individual into staying put,” Deputy Fire Chief Armando Hogan said at a press conference.
“No one jumped, but we had two people that were contemplating jumping,” Hogan said, adding that both were rescued by fire officials.
Eight people in total were “impacted” by the blaze — including a 3-month-old infant, according to Hogan.
Six of those people suffered smoke inhalation and two sustained other types of injuries. No one was killed, but one is listed in critical condition at a local hospital.
Initial reports indicated firefighters battled strong winds to contain the blaze, which affected 10 units, according to The Los Angeles Times.





Officials placed an inflatable rescue cushion beneath the burning units, but several people went up to the rooftop instead — some wearing bathrobes, as a fire helicopter airlifted them to safety.
Fire department and sheriff’s department helicopters hoisted 15 people and at least two dogs to safety, NBC Los Angeles reported.
“We have rarely done rooftop evacuations,” Fire Chief Ralph Terrazas told reporters. “It’s a valuable resource for our helicopters. They worked effectively. Very successful.”
The blaze was extinguished just before 10 a.m., and its cause is under investigation, officials said.
A fire that erupted on the 11th floor of that same building in 2013 injured two people and displaced as many as 150, the Times reported.



