.png)
A structure fire affecting the Prospect Manor senior assisted living home on Prospect Ave. in South Pasadena occurred at approximately 1:56 p.m., Friday.
Several units from fire departments in South Pasadena, Alhambra, and Pasadena responded to the scene with additional support from South Pasadena Police Department.
According to South Pasadena and San Marino Batallion Chief Chris Szenczi, “Initially we got dispatched to a structure fire here at 800 Prospect Manor. On arrival [with] Engine 81, witnesses saw light smoke coming from the corner of the building right here. We evacuated all residents. We weren’t sure where the fire was [or] what was burning,” he told the South Pasadenan News.
Residents living in the facility were safely evacuated as fire personnel worked to locate the source of the fire. Smoke was not visible from the exterior of the building during the time of this report, however sources indicate the fire was located within the walls of the structure.
“On the exterior side, you can see where we had to cut out the wall on both sides to find out that we did have a smoke,” explained Szenczi. “We had a small area that was smoldering. We did actually remove some drywall from the interior [and] it looks like everything was confined to this corner here on the front side.”
Firefighters began working away on the southwestern end of the facade with axes and saws to address the source of the smoke until it was safe enough to begin the “process of trying to get people back in the building,” said Chief Szenczi, who further elaborated that there were no injuries reported at the time.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
News Photographer Esteban Lopez contributed to this story.
