A long-troubled landmark on Sunset Boulevard was jolted back into grim public view early Sunday morning when fire tore through the boarded-up Hollywood Center Motel at 6720 West Sunset Boulevard, sending heavy flames through both floors of the deteriorating structure and prompting a dramatic ladder rescue. The blaze, reported at approximately 4:30 a.m. near the intersection of Sunset and Highland, drew a massive response from the Los Angeles Fire Department as thick smoke and fire engulfed the former motel complex.
By Allan R. Ellenberger
Fire officials said fire crews battled extreme conditions on every level of the two-story, long vacant and closed building, which has been embroiled in years of litigation, historic preservation, and redevelopment struggles. Seventy firefighters were called to battle the blaze with a ladder collapse on an all-hands-on-deck, aggressive attack, officials said. They were able to contain the fire after approximately 72 minutes, officials said. Flames also reached two neighboring bungalow style buildings during the fire, but that damage had not yet been assessed this morning, officials said.
While crews were working to contain the fire, they received reports of people on the second floor screaming for help. A 42-year-old male occupant was rescued from the burning building via a ladder. He was treated at the scene for a minor injury to his arm and transported to a local hospital in fair condition. It was confirmed that he suffered no burn injuries. No firefighters were injured.
The LAFD Arson unit was called to the scene, as the cause of the fire is under investigation. Firefighters noted that the fact that people were able to be inside the boarded-up building is a reminder that the danger still exists when it comes to derelict buildings in Hollywood. LAFD Public Information Officer Captain Adam VanGerpen was on scene shortly after the fire was knocked down.
The fire is another surreal chapter in a decadeslong tale of the Hollywood Center Motel, a middle-of-the-roadway mid-century roadside jewel that went from a symbol of Sunset Boulevard's glamorous neon heyday to a dilapidated, long-festering eyesore mired in legal purgatory. The property has long been a flashpoint in preservation battles and discussions about what to do with the property and plans to redevelop the land have repeatedly stalled over the years as the building behind plywood and fencing has continued to age and deteriorate. Sunday's fire has now raised urgent new questions about safety and neglect at one of Sunset's last remaining motels.
Sunrise in Hollywood revealed the still-smoldering shell of a building destroyed by fire. Whether the Hollywood Center Motel can recover from this latest misfortune—or if the fire will prove to be just one more chapter in the property's long, slow death—remains to be seen. One thing's for sure: Once again, Sunset Boulevard has lost another fragile piece of its past to fire, sirens and a lot of unanswered questions.
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Images taken December 4, 2026 (Photo Credit: Author's collection)
I invite readers to share their thoughts, memories, or concerns about the Hollywood Center Motel and what this fire means for the future of one of Sunset Boulevard’s last surviving landmarks.
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