Firefighter Injured, Cat Perishes in Brentwood Blaze

On Sunday, May 24, 2009 at 7:41 PM, 17 Companies of Los Angeles Firefighters, 8 LAFD Rescue Ambulances, 1 Arson Unit, 1 Urban Search and Rescue Unit, 1 Emergency Air Unit, 1 Rehab Unit, 2 Hazardous Materials Teams, 4 EMS Battalion Captains, 3 Battalion Chief Officer Command Teams and 1 Division Chief Officer Command Team, a total of 128 Los Angeles Fire Department personnel, as well as one CERT Coordinator, all under the direction of Assistant Chief Jeffrey S. Mottram responded to a Major Emergency Structure Fire at 11666 West Goshen Avenue in the Brentwood area of Los Angeles.

Firefighters arrived quickly to find heavy fire showing from the top floor of a 3-story apartment building.

Swiftly extending handlines, firefighters did fierce battle within the two-story unit, preventing the flames from spreading to other parts of the densely built and non-fire sprinklered wood-clad structure.

The fire was confined to the unoccupied apartment of origin and extinguished in just 53 minutes.

During the intense attack on the flames, a Fire Captain sustained severe but non-life threatening muscular injury, and remains hospitalized pending surgical consultation.

While seeking to recover and preserve the resident's personal property from the charred unit, firefighters discovered the remains of one pet cat that succumbed at the scene.

Though another cat was initially believed to have perished in the flames, the formerly missing feline was found later in the neighborhood with serious burn injuries. A community based effort is now underway to support the care and rehabilitation of 'Dokes'. See his Facebook page or call (310) 473-2951.

Monetary loss from the fire is still being tabulated. The cause of the blaze is categorized as accidental, and attributed to a combustible item left on or near the stove.

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Submitted by Brian Humphrey, Spokesman
Los Angeles Fire Department