Fire Destroys Glassell Park Market

GLASSELL PARK - On August 4, 2013, Los Angeles Firefighters battled intense flames at a one-story market in northeast Los Angeles.

Just before 9:00 pm firefighters were called to 3342 Verdugo Road. Upon arrival, they found fire burning through the roof of the Verdugo Rancho Market. Thankfully, the market was closed at the time and all occupants were out of the building.


Firefighters were met with a large volume of fire and made an aggressive interior attack while vertical ventilation was performed on the roof. Under the command of Battalion Chief Phillip Fligiel, additional LAFD resources were requested to aid in the battle of the intense blaze. The fire load in the approximately 100’ by 100’ market and fierce flames quickly made the roof unstable and necessitated a coordinated retreat of firefighters. A defensive exterior fire attach ensued. Roof collapse and structural compromise of two exterior walls proved challenging during the firefight. 125 firefighters contained the blaze to the fire building, extinguishing the flames in just over two hours.

One firefighter suffered a minor eye injury, was treated at the scene and returned to work. The market was consumed by fire, with loss estimated at $1.8 million ($1,000,000 structure and $800,000 contents). The cause of the fire is under active investigation.

Dispatched Units: E250 T50 E55 RA55 E44 RA844 EM1 BC1 E12 E42 E56 RA56 E201 T1 E212 T12 DC1 BC11 BC5 E3 T27 E227 UR27 RA927 UR88 BC14 E27 RA827 RA27 E233 T33 E211 T11 T29 E229 RA850 T3 E203 E61 E211 T11 EA1 AR1 E94 E260 T60 T2 E202 E66 DT1 T2 E202 E66 T15 E215 E11 E21 T50 E250 TP2 TP3 LD1 LD2 DT2 RA909 BC1 AR1 T12 E10 RA894 E12 E212 E12 RA909

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Submitted by Katherine Main, Spokesperson
Los Angeles Fire Department

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Warehouse Fumes in Lincoln Heights Send 17 to Hospital

LINCOLN HEIGHTS - Fumes sickened eighteen workers at a massive Lincoln Heights warehouse operated by a fashion retailer on Sunday morning, sending seventeen to the hospital for non-life threatening illness.

The Los Angeles Fire Department was initially summoned at 9:53 AM on November 4, 2012 to investigate one person ill at the 'Forever 21' distribution center, located at 3880 North Mission Road in Lincoln Heights.

Learning that a foul odor within the expansive complex may have caused the one woman to take ill - and others to experience sudden malaise, the first arriving LAFD crew escalated the incident to a hazardous materials investigation, ultimately bringing 102 Fire Department responders, including an LAFD Hazardous Materials Task Force, to assist the scores of employees working in the nearly 2 million square foot warehouse and adjoining offices.

Establishing a command post uphill and upwind of the business, Battalion Chief Al Ward coordinated the prompt effort to assist the ill and identify the source of the irritating odor.

Though the vast majority of a hundred-or-more workers were without symptoms, LAFD Paramedics quickly triaged employees to isolate eighteen experiencing headache, nausea and vomiting. Of the 18, one declined further medical care, and was released at the scene. The remaining seventeen were taken by Fire Department ambulance to regional hospitals in good to fair condition. No other injuries were reported.

LAFD Hazardous Materials experts, fully clad in protective gear, soon determined a concern verbalized by workers of a "cleaning solution" placed in a dumpster not to be the irritant.

Using sophisticated handheld sensors and hazardous product identification tools, the well-trained LAFD HazMat Team continued a meticulous search of the premises to determine that fumes from an earlier roof repair involving adhesives, as well as vapor from spray painting of a large basement area, were drawn into the building's ventilation system, causing the sudden odor sensed by distant employees.

Pursuant of protocol, LAFD requested the County of Los Angeles Fire Department Health Hazardous Materials Division to conclude the investigation and formally declare the industrial building fit to be reoccupied.

Dispatched Units: E47 RA1 RA2 E17 E221 E21 T21 SQ21 EM1 BC2 E12 RA21 RA17 RA12 RA844 RA25 RA804 RA4 RA3 RA209 EM11 EM13 BC11 RA9 EA1 DC1 E2 E201 T1 E15 T10 E210 BC1 E202 T2 BC5 BC18 RA821 RA47 RA15 RA20 CM3 T15 E215

Submitted by Brian Humphrey, Spokesman
Los Angeles Fire Department

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Cooking Fire in Cal State College Dorm Burns 5 Women, 2 Critically

EL SERENO - Five young women suffered burns while cooking in a Cal State L.A. College dorm kitchen, located at at 5425 East Dobbs Street. Just after 8:00 PM, on November 2, 2012, three college students and two friends were cooking a large amount of fried food when the cooking oil caught fire and flashed, splattering the women, causing burns.

Los Angeles Firefighters arrived at the dorm, located in a large two-story apartment complex, to find the fire quickly burned itself out, leaving behind residual black smoke & soot around the stove, along with slight charring above it. 

After ensuring the scene was safe, firefighters began rapidly treating the most critical of the five burn victims, whom ranged from 18 to 24 years-old. The severity of burns range from slight 1st degree to significant 2nd degree burns covering 20% of the body.

Over 45 firefighters, under the command of Battalion Chief Al Ward, quickly handled the incident. Due to the number injured, LAFD Arson Investigators along with the Cal State Police Department are performing an investigation.

Dispatched Units: E16 RA1 E2 T2 E202 RA844 EM1 BC2 E12 T1 E201 RA1 RA804 RA25 EM11 AR1 RA844 RA4 RA25 EM1

The Los Angeles Fire Department realizes the kitchen is a frequent place for families and friends to spend time together, but remind that it can be one of the most hazardous rooms in the house, especially if you don't practice safe cooking behaviors.

Cooking equipment, most often a range or stove-top, is the leading cause of reported home fires and home fire injuries in the United States.

Safe Cooking Tips

It's a recipe for serious injury or even death to wear loose clothing (especially hanging sleeves), walk away from a cooking pot on the stove, or leave items that can catch fire, such as potholders or paper towels, around the stove. Whether you are cooking the family holiday dinner or a snack for the children, practicing safe cooking behaviors will help keep you and your family safe.

 

Watch What You Heat
 

• The leading cause of fires in the kitchen is unattended cooking.
• Stay in the kitchen when you are frying, grilling, or broiling food. If you leave the kitchen for even a short period of time, turn off the stove.
• If you are simmering, baking, roasting, or boiling food, check it regularly, remain in the home while food is cooking, and use a timer to remind you that you're cooking.
• Stay alert! To prevent cooking fires, you have to be alert. You won't be if you are sleepy, have been drinking alcohol, or have taken medicine that makes you drowsy.

Keep Things That Can Catch Fire and Heat Sources Apart
 

• Keep anything that can catch fire - potholders, oven mitts, wooden utensils, paper or plastic bags, food packaging, towels, or curtains - away from your stove-top.
• Keep the stove-top, burners, and oven clean.
• Keep pets off cooking surfaces and nearby counter-tops to prevent them from knocking things onto the burner.
• Wear short, close-fitting or tightly rolled sleeves when cooking. Loose clothing can dangle onto stove burners and catch fire if it comes into contact with a gas flame or electric burner.

Prevent Scalds and Burns
 

• To prevent spills due to overturn of appliances containing hot food or liquids, use the back burner when possible and/or turn pot handles away from the stove's edge. All appliance cords need to be kept coiled and away from counter edges.
• Use oven mitts or potholders when moving hot food from ovens, microwave ovens, or stove-tops. Never use wet oven mitts or potholders as they can cause scald burns.
• Replace old or worn oven mitts.
• Treat a burn right away, putting it in cool water. Cool the burn for 3 to 5 minutes. If the burn is bigger than your fist or if you have any questions about how to treat it, seek medical attention right away.

Remember, cooking is the leading cause of home fires in the United States, so please do so safely. 
(SAFETY VIDEO)

Submitted by Erik Scott, Spokesman
Los Angeles Fire Department

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House Fire Claims Life of Man in Glassell Park

GLASSELL PARK -  An adult male was found deceased in a fire that destroyed a house on the rear of a hillside lot in Glassell Park. The early morning fire was quickly extinguished by the Los Angeles Fire Department.


Just after 1:00 AM, on July 24, 2012, Los Angeles Firefighters were summoned to 3844 Aguilar Street, to find a two-story hillside residence, with a 464 square-foot detached home in the rear, that was fully involved in fire.

Firefighters worked aggressively to extinguish the intense flames consuming the wood frame constructed rear home with shiplap siding. Flames rapidly spread to a carport, shed and damaged a neighboring by residence to the East.

Due to the swift work of 52 firefighters, under the direction of Battalion Chief Rudy Hill, the blaze was extinguished in just 20 minutes.

Sadly, a 33 year-old male was found without vital signs of life, in the bathtub of the rear structure.

In examining the fire's aftermath, it was not immediately known if there were functional smoke alarms. There were no window bars, security doors, or obvious non-fire factors to impede the victim from exiting the home. The residence was not equipped with residential fire sprinklers.

A positive identification of the deceased man, as well as the precise cause, time and manner of his death will be determined by the Los Angeles County Department of Coroner.

The cause of the early morning blaze is under active investigation by LAFD's Arson Section and LAPD. While the rear structure appears to be a complete loss, the estimated dollar loss is still being tabulated.

Dispatched Units: E55 RA55 E250 T50 RA850 E42 EM1 BC2 E44 E12 T12 E212 RA56 E201 T1 E220 T20 DC1 SQ21 BC1 AR1 AR36 AR3 AR23 AR39 E3

Submitted by Erik Scott, Spokesman
Los Angeles Fire Department

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Man Critically Injured When Explosion Rocks El Sereno Neighborhood

EL SERENO - A thunderous explosion rocked an El Sereno neighborhood awake early this morning, damaging a home and sending one man to the hospital with life-threatening injuries.

The Los Angeles Fire Department was dispatched at 2:08 AM on Saturday November 26, 2011 to 2990 Lowell Avenue, where they found a one-story home with broken window glass and scattered debris - but no active fire.


In searching the significantly damaged 1200 square-foot building for victims, firefighters quickly discovered a 29 year-old man who had sustained painful second- and third-degree burns to more than 35% of his body, including hands, arms, upper torso head and face.

As LAFD Paramedics commenced immediate care for the severely injured man, their colleagues discovered his wife and preteen daughter who had been in another part of the home, and were amazingly uninjured.

The badly burned man was taken by Fire Department ambulance to nearby Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center, which houses a specialized burn care facility. Paramedics described him as being in critical condition.

Inspectors from the City of Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety were summoned to evaluate the home's physical integrity, as Police and Fire Department Investigators continued their joint effort to determine the cause of the explosion. No immediate estimate of monetary damage was available.

Dispatched Units: E16 E47 RA47 E202 T2 RA2 BC2 E44 RA12 AR1 AR11 AR7 AR36

Submitted by Brian Humphrey, Spokesman
Los Angeles Fire Department

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Severe Collision on Freeway Causes Fire, Claims a Life

HIGHLAND PARK - Despite the Friday evening, rush-hour traffic, LAFD resources swiftly responded to what was first termed a "traffic collision" on the freeway. After having received multiple calls, dispatchers quickly upgraded the incident to a "physical rescue." However, the first arriving units encountered something much worse.

After one car apparently stalled on the southbound side of the Pasadena Freeway near York Boulevard, a sport utility vehicle, having not enough time to react to the disabled vehicle, violently rammed into its rear-end, causing the stalled auto to burst into flames. There were two passengers onboard the fully engulfed vehicle and despite the extreme efforts by nearly 40 LAFD Firefighters and Paramedics on-scene, one of the passengers succumbed to injuries and sadly, was pronounced deceased.

Resources from the South Pasadena Fire Department joined with the LAFD on the freeway incident and helped treat and transport four other patients, including the driver of the burnt-out vehicle. All were taken via rescue-ambulance in fair condition to local hospitals with non-life threatening injuries. At least one patient sustained minor burns, in a clear attempt to assist the poor soul that perished in the vehicle fire.

This fatality collision is currently under active investigation.

DISPATCH UNITS:
E55 E212 T12 RA12 RA55 E250 T50 E12 E47 HR56 EM11 BC2 E44 AR1 RA844 RA209


Submitted by Matt Spence
Spokesman, Los Angeles Fire Department

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L.A.'s 'Hard Summer Music Festival' Sends Sixteen to Hospital

LOS ANGELES - A total of thirty-one persons required medical attention during an overnight music festival near Chinatown.

Image of 2010 HARD Summer Music Festival
by Caesar Sebastian

The Saturday, August 6, 2011 HARD Summer Music Festival, advertised more than twenty-five acts appearing on a quartet of stages between 6:00PM and 2:00AM at the Los Angeles State Historic Park, a mile northeast of the Los Angeles Civic Center.

More than two-dozen Los Angeles Fire Department personnel, including LAFD Bicycle Medic Teams were strategically deployed across the 32 acre site for more than ten hours, allowing quick and effective response to the thirty-one persons needing emergency medical services, sixteen of whom were taken to area hospitals by ambulance. Details regarding the age, gender, condition, affiliation and circumstances of those who suffered illness or injury was not immediately available.

The Fire Department did not formally estimate festival attendance, and is not aware of any pre-hospital loss of life at or near the venue.

LAFD Battalion Chief Michael Bowman was quick to credit months of pre-event planning and the Unified Command of local, regional and State officials onsite. He acknowledged the importance of private sector involvement, including that of event organizers, and offered special praise for the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which established a special schedule for Metro subway and light rail lines to serve festival attendees.

The Los Angeles Fire Department has already commenced planning for a future event by organizers of Saturday's festival, the HARD Haunted Mansion, which is scheduled for October 28-29, 2011 at the Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall south of downtown Los Angeles.

Dispatched Units: CT1 CT2 EM720 RA3 RA9 RA2 EM2 EM722 BC739 RA10 RA20 RA2 RA9

Submitted by Brian Humphrey, Spokesman
Los Angeles Fire Department

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100 Foot Geyser in Residential Neighborhood Displaces Family

At 6:11 pm this evening, your Los Angeles Fire Department responded to a reported "hydrant" at the residential intersection of North Edloft Avenue and East Twining Street in the neighborhood of El Sereno. First arriving units were guided to the scene by water being shot approximately 100 feet into the air from a high pressure fire hydrant. The hydrant had been sheared-off by a vehicle, whose driver had apparently lost control. The driver was treated and transported to a local hospital for observation.

Mass amounts of water then began to shower surrounding homes and fill the streets. Access to the hydrant shut-off valve was made difficult to Firefighters not only because they had to endure heavy water, but also due to the large, water-main shut-off valve being located deeper underground than what standard tools on our fire apparatus are capable of accessing. This particular hydrant shut-off valve required specialized tools available only to our partners at the Department of Water & Power (DWP).



As water continued to flow for nearly two hours, approximately 50 Firefighters quickly poured on-scene to assist, along with our specialized Urban Search & Rescue unit and our Heavy Rescue squad. The water flow initially prompted the Incident Commander (IC), Battalion Chief Kevin Pearson, to protect the residents of three homes in the area by sheltering them in place. When it became apparent this would be an extended incident, the IC, under the guidance of Assistant Chief Daryl Arbuthnott, made the decision to evacuate these structures to ensure their safety.

When the hydrant was ultimately shut-down, representatives from the Department of Building & Safety quickly moved in to assess and determined the homes had sustained minimal, structural damage. However, a retaining wall at the rear of one of the structures was severely compromised. As a result, one family was unfortunately displaced for at least that evening. The family was assisted by our friends at the local Red Cross.

We are pleased to report there were no additional injuries to any of the families impacted nor to any of our on-scene personnel.

The cause is under investigation and the dollar loss is still being tabulated.


Submitted by Matt Spence, Spokesman
Los Angeles Fire Department

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Fire Rips Through Furniture Store Near Atwater Village

On Wednesday, June 1, 2011 at 9:05 PM, 21 Companies of Los Angeles Firefighters, 10 LAFD Rescue Ambulances, 1 Arson Unit, 1 Urban Search and Rescue Unit, 1 Hazardous Materials Team, 2 EMS Battalion Captains, 5 Battalion Chief Officer Command Teams, 1 Division Chief Officer Command Team, 1 Emergency Air Tender, a total of 148 Los Angeles Firefighters assisted by Glendale Fire Department, all under the direction of Assistant Chief Daryl Arbuthnott, responded to a Major Emergency Structure Fire at 3053 North Fierro Street in Glassel Park near Atwater Village.


Firefighters arrived to find a one-story, commercial building approximately 200' x 75' with heavy fire showing and immediately called for additional resources. Fire crews aggressively advanced hose-lines to preserve the property and contents of this high-end, furniture manufacturing and sales company (doing business as "Haute House").

The additional challenge of protecting adjacent structures was immediately met by firefighters. Due to the large amount of combustible materials inside the structure, flames rapidly spread and intensely burned, resulting in a full roof collapse. Large hose streams and ladder pipe operations, capable of pouring copious amounts of water on the blaze were utilized.

Due to the determined effort and seamless teamwork of all on scene, the blaze was fully extinguished in one hour and 20 minutes before anyone was injured. Flames were predominately confined to the building of origin. Fire loss to the non-occupied structure is estimated at $1,750,000 ($1,500,000 structure & $250,000 content). The cause of the blaze is under active investigation.

Submitted by Erik Scott & Matt Spence, Spokesmen
Los Angeles Fire Department

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