Los Angeles firefighters rescued terrified residents from the rooftop of a 25-story residential building, where a fire broke out on a sixth-floor balcony and sent choking smoke billowing through the upper levels.

Firefighters also made a dramatic ladder rescue of a man about to jump. Six people were hospitalized, two in critical condition, including the would-be jumper, in the fire, which occurred in a building where a similar blaze broke out seven years ago, authorities said.

Some people who fled to the roof of the building were rescued by helicopters. Arson investigators are looking into whether it was deliberately set, and the fire chief, Ralph Terrazas, said the fire had been deemed “suspicious”.

Fire crews had swarmed the building on the city’s west side on Wednesday morning, after reports of a fire came in around 8.30am. The deputy fire chief, Armando Hogan, said the fire was put out about 10am, about 90 minutes after firefighters responded.

Residents described a frightening flight to safety, as they tried to move down crowded stairwells that forced some to turn back and go to the roof. Firefighters were coming up the stairs as people with children, pets and some elderly tenants moved slowly downward.

A panicked Cecilee Mathieson tried to push past in her rush from her 25th-floor penthouse. When she reached the floor on fire, she could see the orange glow under the door.

“I really thought I was going to die today,” Mathieson said hours later.



#HighRiseStructureFire; INC#0421; 8:37AM; 11740 W Wilshire Bl; https://t.co/3FElC9PyC2; #Sawtelle; PRELIM: 25 story residential high-rise with well-developed fire on the 6th floor. Persons (number undetermined) have reportedly ... https://t.co/RjbeIRImi9 — LAFD (@LAFD) January 29, 2020

In 2013, a fire erupted on the building’s 11th floor, injuring several people and displacing more than 100, the Los Angeles Times reported.

The chief said on Wednesday the building did not have a sprinkler system. The building owners did not immediately return messages seeking comment.

The newspaper reported after the 2013 fire that the building was not required to have one under state regulations because it was built 52 years ago.

Dr Tom Grogan, an orthopedic surgeon who works in the building next door, was arriving at his office when he saw flames shooting from the building. His office manager called 911 and Grogan, who had seen the building burn in 2013, watched as firefighters struggled to get water to the fire on the sixth floor.

A resident of the building with burns on his arms was hanging from a window as if he was going to jump. Firefighters inflated an airbag below but managed to get a ladder to him to save him.

“It was scary to watch,” Grogan said.