The sprinklers, which were 90 percent installed, the main fire pumps, and the alarm system were shut down for maintenance when the fire started in the 62-story building. The fire destroyed five floors of the building and caused the death of a maintenance worker, who had taken an elevator to check out what was believed to be a false alarm. The elevator door opened onto the burning 12th floor.
As a result of the fire the Los Angeles City Council made retrofitting sprinklers a requirement for all existing high rise buildings.