los_angeles california fire station downtown los_angeles built operating fire station headquarters residence fire chief opened spawned political ornate interior expensive imported materials leading called years operation station closed department began replacing older stations new facilities 1980s popular filming location motion pictures filmed station include movies mask history construction controversy june city los_angeles announced plans build story fire station heart wholesale manufacturing district serve fire department headquarters projected cost station placed station opened september final cost controversy arose cost use expensive materials including chief living quarters considered elaborate richest engine house west new_york maybe ornate world los_angeles_times reported follows interior man beast fire department interior sort soulful legion blue civil service graduates spell hypnotic visitor starts floor leave building unusually narrow structure feet wide feet deep stretching entire distance fifth main floor arcade connecting fifth stalls horses brick walls white pressed steel ceilings feet floor extravagant floor living quarters described chief palace chiefs drew attention access floor private elevator moves upper haven floor covered french glass mirrors vermont marble polished oak floors private slide pole massive brass bed private roof garden big chiefs times reported notice carefully heart log chosen grain placed gives appearance real flames certainly reception room engine house chief apartment reported cost times noted quarters finest country referred effort offered sarcastic speculation house captain expected wear evening dress clock unveiling ornate fire station set political civic storm called waste funds critics contended station houses built cost amid outcry city fire commissioners denied knowledge fire house luxurious newspapers reported commissioners approved plans operation remained active opened manned firefighters horses original equipment included horse wagon chief vertical tube boiler company major fire old took hours station served department headquarters home fire chief including chief chief scott wife lived floor later recalled station early days remember horses knew bell ring come stand nice life remember trying wax floors couldn came helped lot floor space know fire station closed november began replacing older stations newer stations modern facilities time closure men worked attended ceremony building mustered service museum historic status station declared time declaration los_angeles_times called fire stations library congress survey concluded station interior beauty added national_register_of_historic_places controversy restoration 1960s 1970s station deteriorated surrounding neighborhood city station street people stole copper brass mid-1970s concerns raised building hazard proposed tearing announced plans restore rooms condition turn station museum city_council placed station control fire department provided city funds creating museum officials fire department set nonprofit organization called raise funds build museum sufficient funds raised projected cost museum million critics questioned wisdom building museum row city settled different location hollywood fire station subject controversy los_angeles_times ran word page article reporting alleged city funds nonprofit charged restoration station plans fire department museum shifted location years earlier continued live banking fees film television producers station house shooting location times reported chief told city agencies continued operations failed turn income required city law investigations times revealed filming fees paid cash american artist leased building found right sub lease property short periods long notified landlord notably money replace missing brass fire poles period fixtures missing fees accounted museum collected fees use city fire stations shooting locations city chose new location fire department museum chief use funds collected museum controversy came light angry official wrote memorandum complaining donations referring donations filming location occupied building year vacancy popular filming location motion pictures television productions commercials music videos los_angeles_times wrote finely restored interior turn century architecture old downtown los_angeles filming locations town producer called great raw architectural space lot major motion picture filmed station german director followed years later station production location interior scenes headquarters station new_york exterior shots success helped station shooting location productions including little china mask lost highway
Fire Station No. 23 (Los Angeles, California)