On Monday, April 18, 2011 at 6:06 AM, 6 Companies of Los Angeles Firefighters, 2 LAFD Rescue Ambulances, 1 EMS Battalion Captain, 2 Battalion Chief Officer Command Teams, a total of 39 Firefighters all under the direction of Battalion Chief Robert Willcox responded to a Structure Fire with Firefighter Injury at 11065 North Balboa Boulevard in Granada Hills.

The first Firefighter on-scene started his work day a little early, as he was driving to his Fire Station from home, he noticed smoke billowing out of a one-story 100' x 50' Commercial Strip Mall. He immediately contacted 9-1-1, provided a size-up, and assured no one was inside by speaking with a worker that arrived just seconds prior.


As additional Firefighters arrived and made entry into the structure, black smoke was banked down within one foot of the floor. Teams of Firefighters swiftly extended ground ladders to the roof of the 9,300 square-foot, multi unit structure to perform strategic vertical-ventilation with chainsaws, as their colleagues deployed hose-lines within the building to do battle with the flames.


One Firefighter made his way up a ladder to the conventional flat roof, and as he climbed down a four-foot parapet, he fell and seriously injured his left knee. His fellow Firefighters quickly came to his aid and it was deemed best to remove him from the roof via a hoist operation. An Aerial truck raised its ladder to the roof with a specialized basket attached to bottom of it, of which the injured Firefighter was placed inside and lowered to safety. The wounded Firefighter was transported to Holy Cross hospital where he was later released and will remain off-duty until healed.


The fire, described at "hot and smoldering", was confined to just one unit doing business as Chile's Mexican Food restaurant. The flames were fully extinguished in just 13 minutes, before any civilians were injured. The 52 year-old non-fire sprinklered building was equipped with properly working smoke alarms.


Monetary loss from the fire is estimated at $50,000 ($20,000 structure & $30,000 contents). The cause of the blaze was determined electrical in nature, and may be attributed to an overloaded electrical power strip found under a counter.



Submitted by Erik Scott, Spokesman
Los Angeles Fire Department

READ MORE - Firefighter Injured While Battling Blaze in Granada Hills

 On Sunday, December 19, 2010 at 7:42 AM, 19 Companies of Los Angeles Firefighters, 5 LAFD Rescue Ambulances, 1 Arson Unit, 1 Urban Search and Rescue Unit, 2 Hazardous Materials Teams, 2 EMS Battalion Captains, 4 Battalion Chief Officer Command Teams, 1 Division Chief Officer Command Team, under the direction of Assistant Chief Jeffery S. Mottram responded to a Major Emergency Fire at 15030 West Ventura Boulevard in Sherman Oaks.

Within four minutes firefighters arrived to a U-shaped, 1-story strip mall with smoke showing. This 100' x 50' x 50' structure contained over a dozen business. Teams of firefighters swiftly took to the light weight panelized roof to perform vertical ventilation of intense heat and smoke. Additional firefighters forced entry into the business, extending handlines to do battle at the seat of the fire.

The origin of the blaze appeared to be from a unit that contained beauty supplies, however flames extended to the adjacent businesses on both sides as well as the attic and mansard. Over 130 firefighters were assigned to the incident, but the first arriving 60 were able to get it under control in just 42 minutes and no one was injured. Monetary loss from the fire is still being tabulated. The cause of this early morning fire appears to be electrical in origin, however remains under active investigation.

Submitted by Erik Scott, Spokesman
Los Angeles Fire Department

READ MORE - Strip Mall Fire In Sherman Oaks

On Saturday, April 18, 2009 at 10:31 PM, 9 Companies of Los Angeles Firefighters, 3 LAFD Rescue Ambulances, 3 Arson Units, 1 Rehab Unit, 1 Hazardous Materials Team, 2 EMS Battalion Captains, 2 Battalion Chief Officer Command Teams, 1 Division Chief Officer Command Team, DOT, DWP, L.A. County Health and a Building and Safety Inspector, under the direction of Assistant Chief Jeffery S. Mottram, responded to a Greater Alarm Structure Fire at 9044 N. Woodman Av. in the Panorama City area.

First arriving Firefighters on scene found heavy smoke coming from the rear of a 1 story, 100 foot by 100 foot commercial building. Further investigation indicated the fire was in the occupancy located in the center of the small, strip mall type complex. As Firefighters vigorously deployed handlines to gain control of the fire, the multiple heat holes cut by the ventilation team spewed fire, indicating the fire had truly progressed into the attic. The IC was prompted to request additional companies to gain control of the fire. A consideration was made to go defensive with master streams, but the deployment of additional 2-1/2 inch hoselines by Firefighters from the added incoming companies, thwarted the progress of the fire by blasting out the drop ceiling and reaching the seat of the attic fire. Members were alerted that a large portion of the roof was unstable and at 2302 hours the majority of the roof collapsed.

It took 68 Firefighters 37 minutes to achieve a knockdown on the fire. There was one minor injury to a Firefighter who was transported to an area hospital. The cause is currently still under investigation. The estimated dollar loss is $600,000 [$200,000 structure, $400,000 contents]. The occupancies effected were: the AlRight Pawn Shop (point of origin), Pupusas Restaurant and the Iglesia Misionera.

(photos)

Submitted by d'Lisa Davies
Los Angeles Fire Department

READ MORE - Fire Damages Three Occupancies in Panorama City Strip Mall Complex