On Tuesday, February 22, 2011 at 3:03 AM, 5 Companies of Los Angeles Firefighters, 4 LAFD Rescue Ambulances, 1 Arson Unit, 1 EMS Battalion Captain, 1 Battalion Chief Officer Command Team, 1 Division Chief Officer Command Team, under the direction of Battalion Chief Charles Butler responded to a Fire Fatality at 4315 North Bluebell Avenue in Studio City.

Firefighters arrived quickly to discover heavy smoke showing from a 1200 square-foot one-story single family home. Reports came in from neighbors, of an individual who may have still been trapped inside. Fire crews forced their way through the front of the residence and were quickly met with flames just inside the entry way. They mounted a bold and decisive attack on the fire, while continuing a systematic search of the smoke charged residence, but were initially unsuccessful in locating anyone.

Near the final phase of extinguishment, firefighters discovered the remains of a burned body, possibly an adult female in the living room area of the home. Unfortunately the individual was beyond any medical help and was declared deceased at the scene.

Firefighters were able to confine the flames to just the living room portion of the structure, and extinguished the early morning blaze in just 17 minutes. This home reportedly had no smoke alarms present, with no obvious deterrents for a possible escape.

A positive identification of the deceased, as well as the cause, manner and time of death will be determined by Coroner's officials. The cause of the fire remains under active investigation.

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Submitted by Devin Gales, Spokesman
Los Angeles Fire Department

READ MORE - Early Morning Fire Claims One Life

On Tuesday, February 8, 2011 at 2:51 PM, 8 Companies of Los Angeles Firefighters, 5 LAFD Rescue Ambulances, 1 Heavy Rescue, 1 Urban Search and Rescue Unit, 1 Rehab Unit, 1 EMS Battalion Captain, 2 Battalion Chief Officer Command Teams and 1 Division Chief Officer Command Team, a total of 65 Los Angeles Fire Department personnel under the direction of Assistant Chief David Yamahata, responded to a Trench Collapse with Civilian Fatality at 3931 Oeste Avenue in Studio City.

Firefighters arrived quickly to find an unconscious and non-breathing adult male worker buried to his neck deep within an excavation for a sewer line at a hillside residential construction site.

According to witnesses, the 33 year-old man - a ten year employee of a private construction firm, was last seen working in or near the 8 foot deep by 2 foot wide trench when the worksite foreman departed for an errand.

The collapse was not witnessed by other construction personnel working remotely on the property, and only noted by the foreman upon his return to the site after an unspecified period of time.

With an LAFD Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) Team and LAFD Heavy Rescue Unit proactively assigned to the initial response, Firefighter/Dispatchers also summoned a trio of large vacuum trucks from the City's Department of Public Works, Bureau of Sanitation to assist with efficient soil removal, of what commenced wholeheartedly as a rescue operation.

With safety, speed and well-practiced efficiency, LAFD trench rescue equipment and personnel were relayed to the site, as both medical oxygen and breathing air lines were swiftly made ready. As the soil was promptly shored to protect both the patient and responders, USAR certified LAFD Paramedics were soon face-to-face with the trapped worker, to sadly determine with great certainty that he was beyond medical help.

Declaring the man deceased at 3:10 PM, rescuers - still together as a team, began the dolorous transition to recovery of the man's remains. With the enhanced shoring of trench walls and key safety procedures in place, firefighters commenced a precise rotation of personnel for the labor-intensive effort of exhuming the man's body.

More than three hours after they were first summoned, Los Angeles Fire Department responders removed the man from the trench in a dignified and respectful manner, placing his remains in custody of the Los Angeles County Department of Coroner.

No other injuries were reported.

A positive identification of the dead man, as well as the precise cause, time and manner of his death will be determined by the Coroner's Office.

Representatives from the City of Los Angeles Department of Building & Safety joined Cal/OSHA Investigators at the scene.

Questions regarding the presence, need or deceased man's use of safety equipment and approved worksite procedures remains within the purview of Cal/OSHA, which is investigating the workplace fatality.

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Submitted by Brian Humphrey, Spokesman
Los Angeles Fire Department

READ MORE - Trench Collapse Claims Life of Construction Worker in Studio City

On Saturday, May 22, 2010 at 12:26 AM, 11 Companies of Los Angeles Firefighters, 2 LAFD Rescue Ambulances, 2 Arson Units, 1 Hazardous Materials Team, 3 Helicopters, 1 EMS Battalion Captain, 2 Battalion Chief Officer Command Teams and 1 Division Chief Officer Command Team, a total of 78 Los Angeles Fire Department personnel under the direction of Battalion Chief John Drake, responded to a Greater Alarm Structure Fire at 3580 Avenida del Sol in Studio City.

Los Angeles Firefighters arrived quickly to find a one-story hillside single family home fully involved with fire.

With light winds from the north and a concern for flying embers igniting volatile vegetation, three LAFD Helicopters were deployed for command support and water dropping capabilities.

Navigating a long driveway with several parked cars, as well as the property's sloped terrain, ground-based firefighters soon encircled the free burning 2,051 square-foot home, negating the need for helicopter water drops but gaining clear tactical advantage from LAFD aerial reconnaissance.

Firefighters confined the fire to the involved structure, sparing an adjacent 833 square-foot building on the premises. They extinguished the flames in just 36 minutes without injury.

The adult male homeowner, alone and asleep within the residence at the time of the blaze, was awakened by the sound of breaking glass and able to escape unharmed prior to the Fire Department's arrival.

The presence and functional status of required smoke alarms could not be immediately determined. The 66 year-old building was not equipped with residential fire sprinklers.

The property owner's compliance with LAFD brush clearance regulations played a key role in preventing the fire from spreading to neighboring homes.

Fire loss is still being tabulated. The cause of the blaze remains under active investigation.

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Submitted by Brian Humphrey, Spokesman
Los Angeles Fire Department

READ MORE - Swift Moving Blaze Consumes Studio City Hillside Home

On Saturday, September 5, 2009 at 10:38 PM, 22 Companies of Los Angeles Firefighters, 6 LAFD Rescue Ambulances, 2 Urban Search and Rescue Units, 1 Hazardous Materials Team, 3 EMS Battalion Captains, 5 Battalion Chief Officer Command Teams, 1 Division Chief Officer Command Team, under the direction of Assistant Chief Mark Stormes responded to a Flooding at 12930 Ventura Boulevard in Studio City.



Firefighters arrived to find thousands of gallons of water rushing east on Ventura Boulevard between Coldwater Canyon Avenue and Whitsett Avenue. Firefighters sprang into action in an attempt to quickly divert the deluge around local businesses residences into the Los Angeles storm drain system, but do to the extraordinary volume of water, it pooled three to four feet in areas.

Over 150 Firefighters worked with profound diligence for many hours, using Dozers sand bags to protect life and property. Though damages include local homes and businesses being flooded, one apartment carport collapse and one victim requiring rescuing from a vehicle, no injuries were reported. An evacuation shelter was implemented at Miliken Middle School, 5041 Sunnyslope Avenue and the American Red Cross was notified.

The source of the water surge was a 95 year old, 62 inch steel pipe that ruptured underneath Coldwater Canyon Avenue, one-half block south of Ventura Boulevard, which served as a large artery feeding water to the Northern Metro Los Angeles Area. The Department of Water and Power fully secured the deluge before dawn, although Ventura Boulevard between Whitsett & Fulton is expected to be shut down until noon and Coldwater Canyon Avenue, south of Ventura Boulevard is not anticipated to open for two-three days.

(LADWP News Release) (photos) (video)

Submitted by Erik Scott
Los Angeles Fire Department

READ MORE - Water Main Break in Studio City Creates Massive Flooding