Smoke without fire: Burning LA building which prompted 911 calls turns out to be movie set

Los Angeles Fire Department confirmed in a statement that the fire was not real

The Los Angeles Fire Department issued a statement after they received several 911 calls alerting them to an apparent building fire which turned out to be part of a Hollywood production.

The high-rise building, which appeared to be ablaze in downtown Los Angeles, was also filmed by several users of the public safety mobile app Citizen.

That footage was then shared on X/Twitter by the app, who posted it along with the caption: “#BREAKING: Fire in Downtown High-Rise. Flames and smoke are billowing from the top floors of the structure. Avoid the area.”

However, even some of those making the footage suspected something was amiss. In the clip posted to X, a voice can be heard saying: “If it’s a movie set I’m gonna feel real stupid.”

As it turns out, the building is part of a film set complex known as Los Angeles Center Studios.

The Los Angeles Fire Department responded to the tweet to confirm the apparent fire was part of a production, writing on X: “We appreciate the concerned citizens calling BUT - the fire visible on the roof of 1201 W 5th x Bixel in #dtla is not real - it is part of a movie/tv shoot. It is planned to be active until 3am. Please share the word! #Hollywood”

A screenshot from the Citizen app showing an apparently burning building in Los Angeles (Citizen app)

In a further statement to the LA Times, fire department spokesperson Margaret Stewart said: “We were letting them know it was a movie set and there was no danger.”

Stewart acknowledged that it was easy for members of the public to think it was a real fire because the camera crews were at the top of the building and were not visible from the ground.

Fire brigade and other first responders were also present on the scene, although this appears to have been purely as a precautionary measure.

ABC helicopter reporter Chris Cristi also weighed in on social media, writing: “It’s a film set…. No emergency.”

The fire had seemed real to those recording the footage. “You can smell it,” one voice can be heard saying. “You can smell, like, the paper burning inside... I smell burnt paper.”

“This is crazy,” another responds.

The group went on to debate whether a real fire would have spread more quickly than the fake fire did, and whether the Citizen app would already know if it was in fact filming for a movie. “I don’t know,” one says. “This is so weird.”