Fire at Historic Magic Castle [Update]
[UPDATED | 9:05 a.m. November 2, 2011 Magic Castle officials say they hope to reopen Friday. A Magic Castle employee tweeted: "Please note that we are HOPING to re-open by Friday but do not have a firm date as of yet. We will let you know as soon as we know!"]
A fire broke out in the attic of the Magic Castle at 7001 W. Franklin Avenue a little after noon Monday, according Matt Spence of the Los Angeles Fire Dept. Firefighters were sent to the scene at 12:35 p.m. and put out the flames by around 1:30 p.m.
No one was injured in the fire and the cause of the fire remains unknown. Though the fire was constricted to the attic and walls, sprinklers went off and caused water damage, according to Spence.
Magic Castle is a private club and home for the Academy of Magical Arts. It has been a venue for magic shows and dining since the 1960s. The house was originially built as a private home in 1909.
The fire came during the Magic Castle's "Inferno Week".
"For the last week in October, The Magic Castle will be ON FIRE with the spirit of Halloween!" their official website states.
The Magic Castle will remain closed the rest of the day due to the fire.
"Again, we are officially closed tonight as we regroup and assess damage. We will have updates regarding our re-opening as soon as we know more," they posted on their Facebook page. "This community is a tight-knit one and we certainly feel the love coming in from around the world."
