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‘It’s Hollywood magic’: Filming for a movie in a downtown L.A. high-rise building spurs 911 calls

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'It's Hollywood magic': Filming for a movie in a downtown L.A. high-rise building spurs 911 calls

As a seasoned Angeleno and a cinema enthusiast with decades of Los Angeles living under my belt, I must say that Thursday night’s spectacle near 5th and Bixel streets was quite the show – one that left me chuckling and shaking my head in disbelief.

On Thursday evening, it seemed like a blaze in a tall building close to 5th and Bixel Streets, downtown Los Angeles, drew the curiosity of some youths. Swiftly, they started capturing the developing calamity on camera, with the intention of sharing it online.

As a movie enthusiast, I chanced upon a live stream on Citizen, a mobile app dedicated to public safety, which later surfaced on their social media platform on X. The video depicted smoke pouring out from the tower of a building, with an intense orange radiance. This clip was titled “#Breaking News: Fire in Downtown High-Rise” and warned viewers to steer clear of the area, as flames and smoke were engulfing the upper levels of the structure.

VIDEO | 00:18

Movie fire in DTLA
'It's Hollywood magic': Filming for a movie in a downtown L.A. high-rise building spurs 911 calls

A video from the Citizen App depicts a blaze, but the Los Angeles Fire Department has assured us it’s just a film set in flames, not a real fire. (Paraphrased by me)

One member of the group is heard remarking, “There’s a scent in the air,” or alternatively, “I can sense a distinct aroma.” She continues, “It seems to be the smell of something burning, perhaps it’s paper.” Or more casually, “Smells like something’s burning, maybe papers?

“This is crazy,” the young man recording says.

However, they discovered later that the fire wasn’t a true calamity at all. Instead, it turned out to be a movie set illusion, a staged fire specifically arranged for filming a motion picture.

1201 W. 5th St. is actually owned by the Los Angeles Center Studios, a vast 20-acre studio complex encompassing event spaces, as well as six large sound stages (each measuring approximately 18,000 square feet), along with other facilities, as stated on their website.

In a situation where authenticity was convincing, even deceptive, the Los Angeles Fire Department felt compelled to share a message on social platforms, advising locals not to dial emergency services due to an unreal fire.

— Citizen Los Angeles (@CitizenAppLA) November 22, 2024

Fire department representative, Margaret Stewart, explained that they were making it clear the scene was a film set and there was no real risk involved.

On the social media site X, the department wrote:

Thank you for your phone calls about the apparent fire at 1201 W 5th St by Bixel in downtown L.A. Rest assured, this fire is not genuine – it’s part of a film or TV production. The shoot will continue until 3 a.m. We kindly ask that you spread the word!

Stewart mentioned that the situation seemed authentic since the camera teams were stationed atop the building, making them invisible from the ground.

That evening, as the gang of young onlookers kept their eyes fixed on the supposedly burning structure, they gradually came to suspect that the fire might not be genuine. The smoke rising was an unusual white, the flames didn’t seem to spread, and there were no characteristic crackling or popping sounds typically heard in fires.

Observers tracking the live broadcast were typing remarks on the Citizen app, pointing out that the blaze was actually a film set’s backdrop.

The viewer mentioned that it wasn’t a genuine fire, which the man filming then repeated aloud. He explained, “It’s just movie magic.

The individuals recording the event, feeling a mix of awkwardness and amusement, chuckle about the situation, thankful that they remain unrecognized in the footage.

“Whatever. They don’t see our faces,” one of the women says.

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2024-11-23 03:01

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