Fire at Sun Valley Business Sends Elderly Owner to the Hospital

SUN VALLEY - On Saturday September 14, 2013,  Los Angeles Firefighters battled a blaze in a commercial building that seriously injured the business owner.

At 11:18 AM, The Los Angeles Fire Department  responded to 10642 West Arminta Street. Firefighters arrived to find heavy smoke and fire coming from a 50' by 150' single story commercial building. Within minutes of the firefight explosives were heard. Fire companies made a coordinated retreat and a defensive fire attack ensued. Nearly 100 firefighters, under the command of Battalion Chief  Robert Takeshita fully extinguished the flames in just 36 minutes.

The 80 year old business owner sustained burn injuries and was transported to an area hospital in serious condition. The owner of  Hollywood Engineering, had been at this location for over 40 years, where reloading equipment for ammunition was fabricated.

 The blaze was confined to the building of fire origin and deemed unsafe by the Department of Building and Safety. Because of the close proximity, the owners residence was also red tagged. The American Red Cross assisted with temporary placement for 3 adults, and 2 dogs.

Monetary loss from the fire was estimated at $500,000 ($250,000 structure & $250,000 contents). Los Angeles Fire Department Arson Investigators determined the cause to be electrical in nature.

Dispatched Units: E77 E89 T89 E289 RA89 RA889 E60 T60 E260 BC12 BC10 E81 E239 T39 E86 E298 E98 T98 DC3 EM15 BC14 T88 E288 UR88 E27 UR27 BC5 E88 RA88 E227 T27 AR1 AR2

(PHOTOS)

Submitted by Katherine Main, Spokesperson
Los Angeles Fire Department

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LAFD Treat 3 Injured After Car Crashes into Target Store

CANOGA PARK - A vehicle crashed into a Target store in Canoga Park October 26, 2012, injuring three people, one critically. The crash was just before 5:30 p.m. at 6600 Owensmouth Avenue in the Westfield Topanga shopping center.


An approximate 70 year-old woman driving a dark-colored sedan down a parking ramp continued through a three way stop toward the rear of the department store. The car crashed into the building, narrowly squeezing through closed double doors, with about a foot of clearance on either side. The vehicle barrelled about 50 feet inside the electronic section of the department store before coming to a stop.

Three people, including the driver, were injured in the crash and transported to three different area hospitals. A 56-year-old man suffered a hip injury and a 29-year-old woman suffered critical head trauma. The driver suffered moderate injuries.

Over 30 Los Angeles Firefighters secured the area, rapidly treated and transported the injured, then remained on scene for hours to remove the vehicle from the store, with LAPD assistance.

The Department of Building & Safety further assessed the integrity of the structure and LAPD Topanga Division investigated what exactly caused this vehicle to crash into the store.

Dispatched Units: E72 E305 E105 T105 RA84 E106 E10 RA96 HR56 EM17 BC17 UR88 RA906 RA93 RA73 EM15 EM14 RA104

Submitted by Erik Scott, Spokesman
Los Angeles Fire Department

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Major Emergency Structure Fire Injures Firefighter

SOUTHEAST LOS ANGELES - Over 100 Los Angeles Firefighters battled a Major Emergency Structure Fire in a furniture warehouse, doing business as C&L Furniture. One firefighter sustained minor burns from the intense heat.


On January 30th, 2012, just after 8 AM, firefighters arrived in less than three minutes to 6245 South Manhattan Place. Fortunately, occupants had just exited the 100' x 60' metal clad commercial building that was rapidly filling with black smoke and fire.

It was quickly realized that a long battle was about to begin, and additional companies were immediately requested. As firefighters entered a loading dock alley on the west side of the structure, they encountered roaring flames. Rotary saws were utilized to force entry through gates and cut through the metal clad sides of the building, allowing firefighters to make access and attack the blaze with hose-lines. Due to the heavy fire load and the construction of the 42 year-old structure, it was deemed unsafe for firefighters to perform vertical ventilation on the roof, however they remained in an intensive, offensive attack.

A total of 136 firefighters, under the command of Battalion Chief Carlos Calvillo, confined the fire to the structure of origin and fully extinguished the flames in just 45 minutes. Teams of Los Angeles Firefighters stayed over seven hours assisting the business owner by combing through approximately 10,000 square-feet of goods to salvage.

When asked if there was anything unusual regarding this fire, Chief Calvillo stated, "It was unusual that firefighters encountered that much fire so early on. It expanded very quick and we are fortunate that all on scene made an such an aggressive attack." No nearby exposures were damaged.

One firefighter received minor burns from the intense heat and was treated by fellow firefighters, then transported to a local hospital in good condition.
The cause of this fire is, "undetermined, most probable accidental", likely due to workers performing normal maintenance on a spray booth. The dollar loss is estimated at $450,000 ($200,000 structure & $250,000 contents).

Dispatched Units: E66 RA866 E57 RA257 E21 E221 T21 SQ21 E266 T66 EM11 BC13 BC11 E46 RA57 RA257 DC2 E215 T15 E226 T26 E15 E64 EM9 BC18 T5 E205 E5 UR85 UR88 BC4 T3 E203 UR3 RA3 BC9 BC2 BC14 E229 T29 E61 E26 E220 T20 AR1 RA64 RA29 EM2 AR3 RT59 EA1 DT1 E85


Submitted by Erik Scott, Spokesman
Los Angeles Fire Department

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Late-Night Arson Fire Brings Heavy LAFD Response

RESEDA - The Los Angeles Fire Department battled a stubborn blaze late, last night in a one-story commercial building. The fire, described initially as suspicious - and later confirmed as arson, brought well over 100 Firefighters to the scene. No one was injured.

At 11:34 pm, on Thursday, November 10, 2011, Los Angeles Firefighters responded to 18715 West Sherman Way, where they found a 150' x 150' single-story, strip mall with heavy fire and smoke pouring from the Padco Brake & Parts storefront. With additional resources responding, Firefighters were quick to force-entry into each of the three occupancies at the address and worked aggressively to prevent the fire from spreading.

With one large attic space, common to all three businesses, the fire had the potential to sweep through the entire commercial strip. The 134 Firefighters on-scene managed to confine the tough fire to just the one unit and the attic, but not before experiencing a partial roof collapse. The neighboring businesses did sustain some smoke and water damage. Thankfully, there were no reported injuries, as Firefighters fully-extinguished this blaze in one hour and 24 minutes.

A thorough and on-going investigation by the LAFD's Arson Counter-Terrorism Section has determined this an "Arson Fire." Anyone with information that may assist the investigative efforts is asked to please contact the Arson Counter-Terrorism Section at (213) 893-9800. The dollar-loss estimates are not yet available.

Dispatched Units:
E273 T73 E100 RA100 E93 T93 E293 E103 RA103 EM15 BC15 BC17 E72 E104 E70 T90 E290 E305 T105 DC3 SQ21 EM17 BC12 T88 E288 UR88 RA88 T89 E289 BC10 E287 T87 E28 E90 E296 T96 T39 E239 RT83 RA909 E260 T60 E60 E229 T29 E98 AR2 EA1


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

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