CHATSWORTH - A pair of teenagers were safely removed from a perilous cliff in the northwest San Fernando Valley in a nearly two-hour effort by Los Angeles Firefighters.

Sixty-eight Los Angeles Fire Department personnel - including two LAFD helicopters and an Urban Search and Rescue Team, were summoned at 6:58 P.M. on Tuesday August 16, 2011, to 10870 North Topanga Canyon Boulevard in Chatsworth, where witnesses reported a pair of teen males stranded on a cliff at Stoney Point, a municipal park popular with hikers and revered by climbing enthusiasts.


The local teens, both 18 years-old, reportedly separated from a group of friends in the rugged terrain, choosing a hillside path that led them to be trapped at dusk in a narrow and rocky recess more than 200 feet above the ground, making a helicopter-based rescue difficult.

Arriving quickly by ground and air, Los Angeles Firefighters hiked up steep and winding trails at sunset as an LAFD command helicopter lit their way to the top of the mountain with a 30 million candlepower spotlight. A second LAFD air ambulance helicopter, configured for hoist operations hovered nearby; as one of the first-arriving firefighters rappelled 50 feet down the sheer cliff to assess and prepare the young men both physically and mentally for rescue.

Confirming the teens to be uninjured - and explaining what lied ahead, the first firefighter was soon joined by a member of LAFD's Urban Search and Rescue unit, who separately placed each boy in a harness for the accompanied descent down the cliff, where the young men were reunited safely with friends and a parent.

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Submitted by Brian Humphrey, Spokesman
Los Angeles Fire Department

READ MORE - Teens Rescued From Rocky Chatsworth Cliff by Los Angeles Firefighters

CHATSWORTH - A grass fire on Independence Day in the northwest San Fernando Valley reported to have injured one or more persons, may have been sparked by illegal fireworks.

Fifty-five Los Angeles Fire Department personnel - including four LAFD helicopters, were summoned at 9:32 P.M. on Monday, July 4, 2011, to 10619 Andora Avenue in Chatsworth, where residents reported a grass fire at nearby Stoney Point, an iconic landmark and municipal park popular with hikers and revered by climbing enthusiasts.

According to witnesses, a thunderous explosion occurred before fire erupted near the site's massive outcroppings. Arriving quickly by ground and air, Los Angeles Firefighters hiked up steep and winding trails in the darkness to confine the wildfire, as LAFD helicopters flanked the blaze that scorched less than a half-acre of tinder-dry brush in the 43 minutes it took to fully extinguish the flames.

Despite an exhaustive search of rugged terrain across the 76-acre site nestled between the Simi Hills and Santa Susana Mountains, firefighters were unable to find one or more persons that a witness said were burned in the fire. In seeking the those injured, firefighters discovered and took custody of a large cache of fireworks found atop the towering cliffs.

The specific cause of the blaze remains part of an active investigation by Los Angeles Police and Fire Department Investigators. Those with information about the event are asked to call the LAFD Arson/Counter-Terrorism Section at (213) 485-6095.


Dispatched Units: E107 E296 E87 T96 BC14 E496 BC15 E72 H4 H6 H1 H3 E106 E104 E103 BP8 AR2 RP88

Submitted by Brian Humphrey, Spokesman
Los Angeles Fire Department

READ MORE - Illegal Fireworks Suspected Following Chatsworth Blaze

On Wednesday, November 3, 2010 at 5:59 PM, 32 Companies of Los Angeles Firefighters, 8 LAFD Rescue Ambulances, 3 Arson Units, 1 Urban Search and Rescue Unit, 1 Rehab Unit, 1 Emergency Air Unit, 1 Hazardous Materials Team, 2 EMS Battalion Captains and 6 Battalion Chief Officer Command Teams, a total of 205 Los Angeles Fire Department personnel under the direction of Assistant Chief Daren Palacios, responded to a Major Emergency Structure Fire at 9260 Owensmouth Avenue in Chatsworth.

Firefighters arrived quickly to find smoke showing from a one-story 165' x 100' commercial building that appeared to be closed for the business day.

Forcing their way through rolling steel and entry doors, firefighters discovered extreme fire conditions throughout a graphics design and direct mail marketing firm heavily loaded with combustible printing and printed materials.

The offensive interior attack on the fire proved short lived as flames roared through the roof, compromising the structure within ten minutes of the 9-1-1 call that brought scores of Los Angeles Firefighters to the scene.
 
Within minutes of a swift and well-coordinated transition to defensive operations, the intense heat within the structure caused the catastrophic failure of a forklift mounted propane cylinder, propelling shrapnel through a section of rolling steel door that had yet to be opened.

As flames leapt more than 50 feet into the darkening sky, multiple large diameter hoselines were deployed from strategically placed aerial ladders and key ground locations, as teams of firefighters entered nearby businesses to limit the horizontal spread of fire.

Though full roof failure occurred during an early phase of the firefight, the masonry walls remained intact as firefighters streamed massive volumes of water into the burning structure well into the night.

The fire was confined within the business of origin, and fully extinguished in less than five hours. No injuries were reported.

With concern that changing weather was causing potentially irritating smoke from the fire to linger uncharacteristically at ground level, experts from the South Coast Air Quality Management District were summoned to assure neighborhood comfort and safety.


Fire loss to the firm of "Aaron, Thomas & Associates" is estimated at $7,000,000 ($5,000,000 contents and $2,000,000 structure). The cause of this fire remains under active investigation.

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Submitted by Brian Humphrey, Spokesman
Los Angeles Fire Department

READ MORE - Massive Fire Consumes Chatsworth Printing Firm

On Thursday, July 8th, 2010 at 3:16 PM, 20 Companies of Los Angeles Firefighters, 2 LAFD Rescue Ambulances, 3 Helicopters, 1 EMS Battalion Captain, 2 Battalion Chief Officer Command Teams, 1 Division Chief Officer Command Team, under the direction of Assistant Chief Patrick Butler, along with Ventura County Fire Department all assisted the Los Angeles County Fire Department (Incident Commander) and responded to a Major Emergency Brush Fire just north of the West-Bound 118 Freeway crossing Topanga Canyon Boulevard in Chatsworth.

Firefighters arrived to find five acres of light to medium brush burning uphill. With the assistance of California Highway Patrol Officers cordoning off #2, #3 & #4 lanes of the freeway, firefighters swiftly anchored the flames as fire spread northward toward homes along Poema Place and Kanaina Court.

A well coordinated air and ground assault from the Los Angeles Fire Department, Los Angeles County Fire Department and Ventura County Fire Department kept the fire from burning out of control, but not before the fire had charred over 10 acres of grass and brush.

The swift arrival of water-dropping helicopters, combined with nearby resident's compliance with strict brush clearance regulations, prevented any homes from being damaged.

Pursuant of protocol and due to the location of the fire, official public and media information regarding this wildfire, including the actions of the assigned 100 LAFD firefighters, will be provided by the Los Angeles County Fire Department, which maintains daily jurisdictional authority of the area where the fire took place.

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Submitted by Erik Scott, Spokesman
Los Angeles Fire Department

READ MORE - Brush Fire Scorches 10 Acres Near Chatsworth