Structural Collapse in Central Area NR23004

Downtown Los Santos: On February 20, 2023, around 09:11 a.m., LSPD officers were dispatched to the Mile High Club at Power Street and Elgin Avenue for traffic control duties due to a fire. Around 09:23 a.m., at the request of a Los Santos Fire Department (LSFD) Battalion Chief,  additional LSPD resources were requested due to the severity of the fire, and the increased likelihood of a partial collapse. LSPD Central Area, Pacific Area, Strawberry Area, Central Traffic Division and Emergency Services Division were of the first to respond to assist with evacuation and perimeter efforts. Additional assistance came from other cooperating agencies who were operating in the area, including the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the Los Santos Department of Water and Power. Around 10:01 a.m., perimeter units reported seeing civilians jumping out from windows directly above the fire. Around 10:13 a.m., ESD personnel began making entry to the Mile High Club with the utilization of simple personal protective equipment, alongside LSFD firefighters. Around 10:47 a.m., ESD personnel located the source of the fire from the 4th hotel vestibule, however LSFD firefighters were unable to battle the fire due to rubble being in the way. Around 10:58, the southern part of the Mile High Club balcony began collapsing down, in the south-eastern direction. 

ESD personnel and LSFD firefighters began evacuating the building, although whilst exiting via the lobby, parts of the interior balcony fell, blocking an exit, injuring emergency responders, and killing one. All emergency responders inside were able to retreat outside to assess the damage, as was confirmed by the incident commander. Upon the return of all emergency responders to the command post established on scene at Power Street, further rubble began raining down eastbound onto emergency vehicles, which resulted in personnel retreating through an alleyway off of Elgin Avenue, establishing an impromptu command post at the Chihuahua Hotdog Stand. Around 02:00 p.m., emergency responders began responding back into the scene, though dust and soot had not yet settled. Additional assistance came from other cooperating agencies who were called into the area, including the Los Santos County Sheriff's Department, San Andreas Highway Patrol, Los Santos Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner and the City of Los Santos Emergency Management Department.

Fire Captain I Matthew Casey of the Los Santos Fire Department was mortally wounded by falling rubble in the lobby, just before exiting the building. Another 19 civilians were injured as a result of this incident, 45 were unaccounted for, and 219 have suffered injuries. Due to the efforts for emergency responders in the speedy evacuation and already low occupancy at the building, many more were not injured. 

Due to the severity of this incident, investigations into the cause and effects of the partial collapse have been passed to the Federal Investigation Bureau (FIB), Firearms, Alcohol, Tobacco and Explosives Bureau (FAT), and other agencies.