Jim Morrison's 'Love Street' House Catches Fire in Hollywood Arson Spree: Balcony That Inspired the Song Burns
The hills of Hollywood and West Hollywood came under attack last night: A mysterious arsonist (or team of arsonists) started 19 car fires in the wealthy area, some of which spread to nearby homes.
homeaway.com.au The canyon home that inspired "Love Street."
Luckily, no residents have been reported hurt thus far. However, one firefighter was sent to the hospital in the wee hours this morning with (non-life-threatening) injuries after fighting a blaze at 8021 Rothdell Trail, says Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Erik Scott.
Fans of L.A. rock legend Jim Morrison, frontman for the Doors, might recognize that address:
It belongs to the gorgeous old wooden home where Morrison penned "Love Street" in 1968. And the part of the house that reportedly burned played a pivotal role in the songwriting process.
LA Curbed Former view from the balcony.
According to the Los Angeles Times, "the blaze spread to a balcony and the front of the house."
Embedded in that pile of ash are some music-history-making memories (from Wikipedia):
The song was originally a poem written by singer Jim Morrison about the street in Laurel Canyon, California, where he lived with his girlfriend Pamela Courson. Their address was 8021 Rothdell Trail. Morrison and Courson referred to Rothdell Trail as "Love Street" because they would sit on the balcony and watch countless hippies walk by.
LAFD spokesman Scott wasn't sure about the balcony burning in particular, but confirmed that a "portion of the outside of the structure and a portion of the roof" was damaged in the fire.
More from the Times:
It took 56 firefighters 35 minutes to put out the fire, which was contained to the front of the three-story home, authorities said.... Authorities termed firefighters' efforts a "major save" because the house is old and nestled in a hillside area with a high density of brush.
Another few car fires along the Sunset Strip on Thursday morning prompted the LAPD to arrest 22-year-old suspect Samuel Arrington. But now, after the midnight spree, the Times reports that "police are not sure if the 19 arsons are the work of a copycat or if they arrested the wrong person."
We're wondering if the arsonist targeted the Morrison home in particular?
Since its construction in 1922 and stint as celebrity pad, the "Love Street" house was priced recently at $1.119 million. It's also listed on some vacation rental websites for around $3,000 per week. The fire that leapt onto its balcony early this morning began in a Mazda Miata parked out front.
[@simone_electra / swilson@laweekly.com / @LAWeeklyNews]
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