The Doors’ famed ‘Morrison Hotel’ catches fire in Los Angeles

The former Morrison Hotel, famed for its association with The Doors and their iconic album from 1970, suffered severe fire damage in downtown Los Angeles on Thursday.

Firefighters battled the blaze for nearly two hours, with over 100 personnel responding to the scene to bring the fire under control, as reported by the Los Angeles Fire Department. The four-story structure had been vacant for more than a decade prior to the incident.

The Morrison Hotel gained notoriety through its album cover, captured by renowned musician photographer Henry Diltz in 1969. Diltz noted that creating the cover image required some clever maneuvering. While a hotel clerk initially informed the band they couldn’t take photos inside, Diltz seized the moment when the clerk momentarily left his post, allowing the group to dart into the lobby and snap the photo featuring Jim Morrison front and center.

Diltz reminisced about the building, saying, “It was a great old wooden building with many small rooms upstairs where transients and drinkers could sleep it off on a cot for $2.50 a night! I think the beautiful front window with ‘Morrison Hotel’ in red letters was the best part of it! So did The Doors!”

The album itself was regarded as a return to The Doors’ roots, following Morrison’s infamous arrest during a Miami concert, which resulted in convictions for indecent exposure and profanity. The Doors would later produce one last album titled “L.A. Woman” before Morrison’s untimely death in Paris on July 3, 1971.

Upon arrival at the scene of the fire on Thursday, firefighters encountered heavy flames emanating from the top floor of the building. Fortunately, several individuals managed to escape without injuries, including three people who had to be rescued by firefighters from the third floor. However, the building’s roof ultimately collapsed, raising concerns about its structural integrity, according to the firefighting department.

In recent years, the hotel had also served as a training facility for aspiring firefighters, showcasing its ongoing ties to the local community despite its long-held vacancy.