A male worker is in grave condition and a firefighter was injured after a fire broke out at a 26-story hotel building in the Universal City area on Wednesday afternoon.
The blaze on the ninth floor of the Sheraton Universal was reported shortly after 12:30 p.m.
When firefighters ascended the stairs to the ninth floor, which was under construction and hosting no hotel guests, they encountered heavy smoke, according to Margaret Stewart with the Los Angeles Fire Department.
Firefighters had to break windows to let out the smoke after extinguishing the fire. As they searched the area, they found an adult male worker in the next-door room. He was taken to a hospital in grave condition.
A firefighter was also transported in “fair/serious condition with non-traumatic injury,” Stewart said.
Guests were ordered to shelter in place during the blaze, which was “held in check” by sprinklers, she said.
The smoke and sprinkler water damaged floors from the ninth down to the lobby and firefighters were working to clean up. They will be at the high-rise “for an extended period,” Stewart said.
Arson investigators are on scene.