Firefighters Battle Stubborn Fire in Silver Lake Home

On Saturday, August 1, 2009 at 11:07 AM, 6 Companies of Los Angeles Firefighters, 2 LAFD Rescue Ambulances, 1 Rehab Unit, 1 EMS Battalion Captain, 1 Battalion Chief Officer Command Team and 1 Division Chief Officer Command Team, a total of 41 Los Angeles Fire Department personnel under the direction of Battalion Chief Joseph Kline, responded to a Structure Fire at 1618 North Benton Way in the Silver Lake area of Los Angeles.

Firefighters arrived swiftly to find heavy smoke showing from a two-story single family hillside residence with an attic conversion.

Forcing entry into the unoccupied 1,532 square-foot home, firefighters quickly extended handlines to do battle with well entrenched fire, as their rooftop colleagues performed strategic vertical ventilation.

With fire spreading rapidly through the walls and floors due to early 20th century construction, firefighters fought stubborn flames in voids and recesses on two levels, at times challenged by excessive personal storage.

Relentless teamwork by LAFD responders brought the flames under control in just 64 minutes, confining the blaze within the home and limiting damage to $180,000 ($150,000 structure & $30,000 contents).

There were no injuries.

Three residents, including two adults and a child, returned home to discover themselves displaced by the fire, and subsequently sought their own accommodations.

The cause of the blaze was determined to be electrical in nature.

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Submitted by Brian Humphrey, Spokesman
Los Angeles Fire Department