On Saturday, June 11, 2011 at 10:15 PM, 11 Companies of Los Angeles Firefighters, 4 LAFD Rescue Ambulances, 1 Arson Unit, 2 Urban Search and Rescue Units, 1 Rehab Unit, 1 Hazardous Materials Team, 2 EMS Battalion Captains, 5 Battalion Chief Officer Command Teams, 1 Division Chief Officer Command Team and a total of 92 Firefighters, all under the direction of Battalion Chief John Duca, responded to a Greater Alarm at 9797 North Glenoaks Boulevard in Sun Valley.Even against the dark, night sky, a large plume of smoke could be seen enroute to the incident, indicating Firefighters were going to be engaged in a significant battle. First arriving companies confirmed a large outside fire at an auto salvage yard (DBA: Elite Auto). After making swift entry onto the property, Firefighters encountered additional concerns of not only downed power-lines, but also combustible metals, both of which present extreme hazards to personnel because of their volatility.
The command decision was quickly made to deploy large hose streams from both the ground and from aerial ladders in an effort to extinguish the stubborn blaze and to protect the adjacent occupancies from further damage. This large, outside fire burned so fiercely that two structures on the adjacent property (DBA: Elite Auto) sustained moderate damage.
Due to the strategic efforts of the command teams and an aggressive, sustained fire attack by nearly 100 Firefighters, the troops quickly gained the upper hand. The skillful firefight continued and the well-coordinated attack resulted in a knockdown in just over an hour.
The cause of the fire and its origin are under active investigation and the dollar loss is still being tabulated. There were no injuries.
Submitted by Matt Spence
Spokesman Los Angeles Fire Department
