Within three minutes the Los Angeles Fire Department arrived on scene to find a 50’X100’ two-story four-plex with smoke and fire showing from the first floor, then swiftly summoned additional help. Firefighters forced entry through security gates to enable hand-lines to be extended while simultaneously performing vertical ventilation to battle the well-entrenched blaze.
The flames ran through the center hallway and burned three separate units on the first floor and lapped up to the second story. 75 Firefighters extinguished the early evening, stubborn blaze in 37 minutes.
Smoke Alarms were present in the 4,896 square-foot building, but their functional status and role in alerting occupants could not be immediately determined. There were no window security bars or obvious non-fire factors to impede egress from this 83 year old building.
Unfortunately this very hot blaze injured three people. One adult male Firefighter and an adult female civilian suffered burns and were transported to local hospitals in minor condition, and an adult male civilian suffered burns to the face and respiratory tract and was taken to a hospital in critical condition. An additional 10 adults and 10 children were displaced but were housed at Fire Station 2 where Firefighters and Council Member Jose Huizar comforted the families and provided hot cocoa and ice cream to the children while they awaited relief from the American Red Cross.
Monetary loss from the fire is estimated at $195,000 ($145,000 structure & $50,000 contents). The cause is undetermined.
Submitted by Erik Scott, Spokesman
Los Angeles Fire Department
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