Stay Connected
June 28, 2019
Here’s the latest news impacting Los Angeles Firefighters…

Feature
Celebrate Safely at a Public Fireworks Show in Los Angeles
Why should my family attend a Professional Fireworks Show?
All fireworks, even the so-called 'safe and sane' variety are illegal in the City of Los Angeles. Those who use, possess or transport any type of firework may be subject to criminal prosecution - or worse yet, painful and debilitating injury. Click HERE to see a list of Professional Fireworks Shows in the City of Los Angeles.

Illegal and Unsafe Housing Evacuated
Fire Inspectors led an evacuation due to illegal and unsafe habitation of a single-story building zoned for commercial use. LAFD Firefighters, LAPD, Department of Building and Safety, and a Councilmember were some of the team on scene supporting the operation. Multiple agencies gathered near the intersection of W 57th Street and S Hoover Street at approximately 7:00 a.m. on Friday morning to assist the Los Angeles Fire Department's Fire Prevention Bureau in evacuating a building with unsafe living conditions. One week prior, fire inspectors working at a nearby address were notified by a concerned neighbor of the conditions inside of the structure. The 5,606 square foot building - a single-story structure zoned for commercial use that had been modified illegally - was being used in a residential capacity. Several fire and life safety hazards were found inside and it was unsafe for the conditions to continue.

Board President Delia Ibarra Reappointed to LAFD Fire Commission
On June 25 th , LAFD Fire Commission President Delia Ibarra was reconfirmed by the City Council to serve another term on the Board of Fire Commissioners. LAFD Fire Chief Ralph Terrazas, Deputy Chief Graham Everett, and United Firefighters of Los Angeles City President Freddy Escobar were proud to witness Commissioner Ibarra’s swearing-in ceremony. On behalf of our rank and file members, thank you for your leadership, commitment, and service to the City!

From A Mass Shooting To A Major Wildfire, Two California Firefighters Recount A Harrowing 24 Hours
Two firefighters went beyond the call of duty when they responded to a mass shooting at the Borderline Bar and Grill in Thousand Oaks, California - then nearly 12 hours later, they responded to the Woolsey fire just a mile away.
It took just three minutes for Ventura County firefighters Martin Gonzalez and Damon Zielinski to respond to the late night call of shots fired at the Borderline Bar & Grill, back in November. But it would be days before either would truly sleep again after what would be some of their most emotional days on the job. 'Before we even left the station, our dispatcher goes, 'Hey, we're getting reports of numerous shots fired and you might have two victims,'' said Gonzalez, a fire captain who's been in the fire service for 31 years, 16 of those years with Ventura County. They arrived to a still active scene so they staged three blocks away.

Kevin de León Addresses UFLAC Membership
United Firefighters of Los Angeles City welcomed former CA State Senate President Kevin de León to the June General Membership meeting. UFLAC was proud to be the first union to endorse de León in his candidacy for LA City Council District 14 in the March 2020 election.

Fire Watch
Firefighters Knock Down Overnight House Fire in Hollywood
Firefighters needed 51 minutes Tuesday morning to extinguish a blaze inside the attic of a one-story home in Hollywood. Crews responded at 3:46 a.m. to the home located in the 5800 block of West La Mirada Avenue and discovered fire coming from the home, according to Margaret Stewart of the Los Angeles Fire Department. Firefighters went into an offensive mode, but the possibility that the porch and entrance to the home might collapse forced crews to find a different way to enter the house, Stewart said. A second entry point was located and a total of 36 firefighters worked to extinguish the blaze and a knockdown was declared at 4:37 a.m., she said.

Fire Damages Strip Mall in Woodland Hills
Firefighters extinguished a blaze that damaged a strip mall in Woodland Hills Friday afternoon. It took crews about 50 minutes to put out the flames, which were first reported just before 5:30 p.m. in the shopping center at 20934 W. Victory Blvd., on the border with Canoga Park, the Los Angeles Fire Department said in an alert. Initially there was only smoke emanating from one unit, a trophy shop called Trophyman, but the fire spread through the attic to a neighboring unit, officials said. Trophyman sustained significant damage, and West Coast Signage next door was burned as well. Aerial video of the scene showed crews on the building’s roof, where air condition units appeared to have caught fire.

Fire in downtown LA hotel built in 1923 critically burns person
A person was critically burned Thursday in a fire at the Rosslyn Hotel in downtown Los Angeles. Firefighters sent to 112 W. Fifth St. at 7:09 a.m. extinguished the flames in 15 minutes in an 11th-floor unit in the building, the Los Angeles Fire Department reported. The fire in the hotel, which was built in 1923, was held in check by sprinklers, the LAFD reported.

Small Brush Fire Erupts in Lake View Terrace
Fire crews were working to put out a small brush fire in Lake View Terrace Wednesday evening. According to the Los Angeles Fire Department, forward progress of the fire in the 1400 block of W. Foothill Boulevard, in the Hansen Dam area, was halted at approximately 2 acres . The fire was contained just before 9 p.m. Crews were staying on scene to clean and search the area for people. A juvenile was reportedly found with unknown injuries and was being evaluated.
CBS

Firefighters Put Out Fire In 3-Story Commercial Building
Firefighters Sunday knocked down a fire in a room on the second floor of a three-story commercial building in South Los Angeles that was also held in check by the structure’s sprinkler system. Five people were also escorted from the basement of the building at 901 E. 31st St., said Margaret Stewart of the Los Angeles Fire Department. Firefighters dispatched at 5:10 a.m. to 901 E. 31st St. had the fire out within 26 minutes of their arrival, Stewart said.

Crews investigate manhole explosion in Los Angeles
Los Angeles fire crews investigated a reported explosion in the Westlake area of Los Angeles Thursday afternoon. Arriving  firefighters found a dislodged manhole cover with smoke emanating from it , according to the LA Fire Department. The incident occurred at about 3:15 p.m. in the 1400 block of W. 7th Street. The explosion was isolated to a manhole cover, the fire department said.

Photo by Rick McClure
Auto burns behind locked gate at Mission Hills body shop
Los Angeles firefighters responded to a report of a burning auto at a Mission Hills body shop early Wednesday morning, only to find the flaming vehicle behind a locked security gate . LAFD firefighters used hoses to put water on the blaze through the metal gate and managed to extinguish the fire in about 10 minutes, according to a photographer at the scene.

First Responder News
1 killed after small plane crashes near Porter Ranch
A pilot was killed Saturday in a small plane crash in the Santa Susana Mountains near Porter Ranch, according to officials. The plane crashed at about 2:40 p.m. while flying through the remote terrain in the Santa Susana Mountains, about two miles north of Porter Ranch. A Los Angeles Fire crew said it discovered the body of a man at the scene. It crashed in a remote area, so crews had to be lowered from a helicopter to the debris area.

Woman allegedly flees scene after crash in North Hills leaves 1 killed, 5 injured
A woman is sought after one person was killed and five were injured in a crash in North Hills Sunday morning. The crash was reported just before 6 a.m. in the area of Haskell Avenue and Parthenia Street. Two wrecked vehicles were visible at the scene. Los Angeles firefighters said at least one person was trapped in one of the vehicles.

Vehicle Plunges into Water in San Pedro
A vehicle has gone into the water in San Pedro and the driver is safe, officials said. It went off the road at 400 S. Navy Way, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. Fire boats were en route to the submerged vehicle to verify that there is no one else inside, as the driver indicated.

State News
Can California avoid a third year of fire catastrophe? Here’s what’s been fixed — and what hasn’t
All signs point to another busy fire year in California. Already, a heat wave this month triggered hundreds of wildfires . They were mostly small burns, but they thrived off a healthy crop of brush nourished by the wet winter. As the state’s hills and valleys continue to dry out, that vegetation may pose bigger problems. State and federal leaders are working to reduce the threat, but they face a number of long-standing challenges: overgrown forests that haven’t been cleared of undergrowth, sprawling development in high-risk areas, an electric grid prone to throwing deadly sparks and a warming climate. The last two fire seasons, the worst ever in California, offered a tragic taste of these mounting problems. More than 135 people died in wildfires in 2017 and 2018, while tens of thousands of houses and businesses were destroyed. November’s Camp Fire in Butte County alone killed 85 and wiped out 14,000 homes.

National News
Firefighters Cancer Registry to Get $900K Boost
Federal lawmakers passed an amendment to add funding to the Centers for Disease Control's Firefighter Cancer Registry. The amendment, which was passed by the U.S. House and backed by Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr. (D-NJ), allocates $900,000 to the CDC to bring funding for the cancer registry to $2.5 million , according to a release by Pascrell. The measure was supported by several fire groups, including the Congressional Fire Services Institute, the Fire Apparatus Manufacturers’ Association, the Fire and Emergency Manufacturers and Services Association, the International Association of Arson Investigators, the International Association of Fire Chiefs, the International Association of Fire Fighters, the International Fire Service Training Association, the International Society of Fire Service Instructors, National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, National Fire Protection Association, and National Volunteer Fire Council.

Above & Beyond
Fire Photographer Appreciation
Thank you to all of our Fire Photographers who work to capture LAFD incidents and events all year round so that we can showcase the great work our members do in our city every day!

Photo by John Conkle
LAFD Firefighters Honored for Saving Multiple Lives at Downtown Blaze
During a meeting of the Los Angeles Fire Commission, the executive leadership of the Los Angeles Fire Department formally recognized a trio of Firefighters from LAFD Station 9 for saving the lives of several persons trapped inside a burning building . The incident took place on the rainy morning of February 14, 2019, when LAFD Task Force 9 and crews from neighboring stations responded to a structure fire on Ceres Avenue in the Central City East neighborhood of downtown Los Angeles.

Photo by Alex Gillman/LAFD
LAFD Promotional Ceremony
The Los Angeles Fire Department proudly announces the promotional badge presentation on June 20, 2019. These promotions are effective June 23, 2019. For a complete list of promotions, click HERE .

Remembering Our Fallen Brothers & Sisters
Fireman
Jerome Martin (Ret.)
Deceased: 6/8/2019
Appointed: 9/23/1946
Assignment: FS 93-A
Retired: 9/1/1966

Engineer
Robert D. Crook (Ret.)
Deceased: 6/6/2019
Appointed: 1/15/1979
Assignment: FS 1
Retired: 12/3/1987

Engineer
Billy D. Christian (Ret.)
Deceased: 6/5/2019
Appointed: 1/28/1957
Assignment: FS 35
Retired: 11/1/1971
Captain I
Gene F. Gallagher (Ret.)
Deceased: 5/31/2019
Appointed: 5/15/1977
Assignment: FS 51-C
Retired: 3/11/2007

Firefighter II
Lyle D. Bartsch (Ret.)
Deceased: 5/30/2019
Appointed: 4/30/1966
Assignment: FS 43-B
Retired: 1/5/1984

Assistant Chief
Thomas C. Tolman (Ret.)
Deceased: 5/29/2019
Appointed: 12/19/1955
Assignment: Div 1 C
Retired: 2/25/1979
Captain
Homer M. Miller (Ret.)
Deceased: 5/21/2019
Appointed: 6/1/1975
Assignment: FS 61-B
Retired: 1/30/1989

Captain II
John S. Nelson (Ret.)
Deceased: 5/18/2019
Appointed: 4/1/1957
Assignment: FS 33-C
Retired: 6/30/2007

Captain I
Robert H. Setterberg (Ret.)
Deceased: 5/18/2019
Appointed: 4/8/1961
Retired: 7/22/1996
About UFLAC:  Since 1918, UFLAC has been the labor organization of the proud men and women that serve as firefighters and emergency medical responders protecting the City of Los Angeles. The members of the Los Angeles Fire Department rely on UFLAC to focus on the wellbeing and safety of those that protect the lives of others. For more information, visit  www.uflac.org .