SOUTH LOS ANGELES - Doctors in Los Angeles were striving late Monday to save a girl's eyesight following a horrific injury caused by an illegal firework during a private Independence Day celebration.

The Los Angeles Fire Department was summoned at 10:52 P.M. on Monday, July 4, 2011 to 617 West 42nd Place in South Los Angeles, where they encountered a 12 year-old girl with severe eye damage.

According to witnesses, the girl had been in front of a home using a sparkler - also illegal in Los Angeles, when another person discharged an illegal 'firecracker-like' device near her face, impaling her right eye.


A team of six LAFD crew members worked in unison to stabilize the injury while providing emotional care to the patient and her family, then quickly transported the girl to Children's Hospital Los Angeles, where a team of experts awaited to provide her care.

Los Angeles Police Officers will investigate circumstances of the injury. The personal use of any firework, including so-called "safe and sane" devices has been illegal in the City of Los Angeles since World War II.

Dispatched Units: E14 RA833 RA15

Submitted by Brian Humphrey, Spokesman
Los Angeles Fire Department

READ MORE - L.A. Firework Injury Places Girl's Eyesight at Risk

On Monday, September 6, 2010 at 3:23 PM, 5 Companies of Los Angeles Firefighters, 3 LAFD Rescue Ambulances, 1 EMS Battalion Captain, 1 Battalion Chief Officer Command Team, a total of 34 Los Angeles Fire Department personnel under the direction of Battalion Chief Charles Combs, responded to a Structure Fire at 611 West 46th Street in South Los Angeles.

Los Angeles Firefighters arrived quickly to find smoke showing from a two-story 4,403 square-foot residential fourplex.


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Finding fire in the attic, firefighters commenced swift salvage operations to protect personal property by deploying tarpaulins within the structure and making judicious use of firefighting hosestreams.

The well coordinated effort of firefighters confined flames to the building's common attic, extinguishing the blaze in just 23 minutes.

There were no injuries.

Though loss from the fire was limited to $35,000 ($25,000 structure & $10,000 contents), the need to secure utilities rendered the building temporarily untenable. A total of twenty persons - 15 adults and 5 children - living in the residential fourplex were referred to the American Red Cross for interim placement assistance.

The cause of the fire was determined to be electrical in nature, and attributed to dated wiring in the 99 year-old building.


Submitted by Brian Humphrey, Spokesman
Los Angeles Fire Department

READ MORE - South Los Angeles Electrical Fire Displaces 20

During the June 25-26, 2010 Electric Daisy Carnival, a large rave-type music and entertainment event at the Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, dozens of strategically placed LAFD personnel responded to 226 on-site medical emergencies and coordinated transport of 114 persons to area hospitals, mostly through the use of event-contracted commercial ambulance services.

No specifics are presently available regarding the age, gender, condition or affiliation of the ill and injured.

The Los Angeles Fire Department is not offering an official attendance estimate for the two-day gathering, and was not made aware of any pre-hospital loss of life associated with the event.


Submitted by Brian Humphrey, Spokesman
Los Angeles Fire Department

READ MORE - LAFD Responds to 200+ Emergencies at 2010 Electric Daisy Carnival in Los Angeles

On Sunday, June 14, 2009 at 7:15 AM, 10 Companies of Los Angeles Firefighters, 3 LAFD Rescue Ambulances, 1 Arson Unit, 2 EMS Battalion Captains, 2 Battalion Chief Officer Command Teams, 1 Division Chief Officer Command Team, under the direction of Battalion Chief Armando Hogan responded to a Structure Fire at 4429 S. Vermont Ave in Exposition Park/Coliseum Area.

Firefighters arrived to a 50ft X 75ft 1 story commercial building well involved with fire to the rear . Although crews made a quick attack on the blaze, one home located behind the structure was exposed to high heat and caught fire.

Three residents made it out of the home prior to fire crews making entry. A male and female in there 40's suffered slight smoke inhalation with burns to their faces and arms. Both were treated by paramedics then transported to area hospitals in stable condition. 2 teenagers were treated at the scene with no report of injury. Sadly two of the family's dogs perished in the blaze.

It took 65 Firefighters 17 minutes to fully extinguish the fire. The caused was due to a candle accidentally being left unattended. The dollar loss is estimated at $18,000-content and $ 48,000-structure. Smoke detectors did play a significant role in the warning of the occupants.

Submitted by Devin Gales
Los Angeles Fire Department

READ MORE - Commercial Blaze Catches Fire To Near By Home