June 18, 2021
Here’s the latest news impacting Los Angeles Firefighters…
|
|
Explosive Fire Damages 100-Year-Old Building in Downtown LA
Over 100 firefighters battled an explosive fire in downtown Los Angeles Tuesday morning. The fire broke out at a three-story masonry building near the intersection of S. Los Angeles Street and 3rd Street shortly before 2 a.m. Los Angeles Fire Department says it declared the blaze a "major emergency" fire, and at the height of the incident, 150 firefighters took part of an "active firefight." Approximately 78 firefighters remained on scene as of 7:45 a.m. No injuries were reported. Small popping sounds could be heard in video from the scene, and flames were seen on both sides of the street. A homeless encampment across the street caught on fire, LAFD said. The Red Cross is assisting those that were displaced by the fire, LAFD Public Information Officer Erik Scott said.
|
|
Man Rushed to Burn Center in Critical Condition After East Hollywood Fire in Vacant, Two-Story House
A vacant two-story home, built in 1913, caught fire Saturday morning with one man being rushed to an area burn center in critical condition due to severe injuries sustained in the blaze. Reports of the East Hollywood fire in the 4800 block of West Melrose Avenue came in at 6:56 a.m. Firefighters had the fire extinguished by 7:08 a.m., according to Brian Humphrey, of the Los Angeles Fire Department. The vacant home contained evidence of a homeless encampment and has been the site of a previous fire.
|
|
Freeway Sign to Honor Fallen LAFD Firefighter Kelly Wong
On the fourth anniversary of his line-of-duty passing, beloved Los Angeles Fire Department Firefighter Kelly Wong received a special memorial honor. On the morning of June 5, 2021, at the LAFD Frank Hotchkin Memorial Training Center in Elysian Park, Kelly's wife Danielle and son Colton were proudly joined by City leaders, including Mayor Eric Garcetti and Fire Chief Ralph Terrazas, in the ceremonious unveiling of a Cal Trans freeway sign that will soon memorialize the fallen firefighter, who died in a tragic on duty accident while training with his crew on June 5, 2017. To make the honor of this official sign possible, Mayor Eric Garcetti’s Staff, City Council District 14 Staff and LAFD leadership worked closely with State Legislators and Kelly's wife Danielle to gain approval of the sign and secure its location alongside the southbound Hollywood (US 101) Freeway in downtown Los Angeles, adjacent to the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels.
|
|
Presenting UFLAC's 2020 LAFD Year in Review
On behalf of the approximately 3,400 Firefighters of United Firefighters of Los Angeles City, IAFF Local 112 (UFLAC), we are proud to present the 2020 Los Angeles Fire Department Year in Review. UFLAC’s mission is to lead the way to protect and advocate for the health, safety, working conditions, wages and benefits of our members and their families. This book helps to tell the story of our dedicated First Responders who continued to protect lives and property in Los Angeles while risking their own safety during an extraordinary year. In 2020, our Firefighters and Paramedics responded to more than 444,000 emergency calls for service throughout Los Angeles - an average of 1,213 calls per day. As an all-risk fire and rescue agency serving more than four million people, the LAFD is one of the busiest fire departments in the country and we are ready to answer any call that may come our way. UFLAC is honored to help showcase the dedication and commitment demonstrated by the men and women of the LAFD. Click HERE to view the publication.
|
|
Fire Tears Through Downtown Medical Building
More than 100 Los Angeles firefighters battled for nearly an hour Monday morning to knock down a greater-alarm fire that tore through a vacant medical clinic building in downtown Los Angeles. The blaze broke out at 2:08 a.m. in the center section of three adjoining buildings at 1848 S. Main St., said the Los Angeles Fire Department's Brian Humphrey. Crews took a defensive approach to stop the blaze from spreading to surrounding structures, he said. About 102 firefighters poured water on the flames fro the outside, putting the blaze out in 51 minutes, according to Humphrey.
|
|
DTLA Outside Fire Spreads to Commercial Building
Around 11:08 p.m. Tuesday, June 8, 2021, the Los Angeles Fire Department responded to a large outside fire threatening a commercial structure on the 300 block of South San Pedro Street in downtown. When LAFD arrived at the location, they found a large homeless encampment on fire near a 100' x 100' one-story commercial building with smoke coming from the roof ventilators, according to LAFD. The blaze escalated into a Greater Alarm structure fire requiring additional companies. Firefighters forced entry into the building where they discovered fire inside. LAFD reported that it took 73 firefighters 22 minutes to extinguish the blaze.
|
|
Fire hits businesses near Van Nuys Airport
A fire damaged several commercial units next to Van Nuys Airport Thursday, but no one was hurt. Firefighters sent to the 16100 block of Saticoy Street — just east of the airport — at 10:17 a.m. extinguished the flames in the single-story building in 34 minutes, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. There was no immediate word on the cause of the fire.
|
|
Range Fire: Firefighters Stop Forward Progress of Small Brush Fire in Sylmar
Firefighters Sunday were able to stop the forward progress of a small brush fire that erupted in the Sylmar area. The so-called Range Fire was burning in the 12600 block of Little Tujunga Canyon Road, and had scorched about one acre. As of 11 a.m., the fire appeared to be knocked down. No structures had been threatened. At its height, the fire had been burning in “light flashy fuel” and running uphill, the Los Angeles County Fire Department said. Firefighters battled the fire from both the ground and the air.
|
|
Chief Terrazas Speaks on 2021 Brush Fire Season
LAFD Fire Chief Ralph Terrazas joins L.A. Cityview's Maria Hall-Brown to discuss all things wildfire, as the temperatures quickly rise around southern California. There are hundreds of brush fires in the city every year, but most of them go unnoticed because firefighters respond quickly and extinguish them while they are still extremely small. Every large brush fire was a fraction of an acre at one point. Firefighters use a combination of air and ground resources, and take advantage of different kinds of technology that are now available. We ask members of our community to be diligent with brush clearance and fire safety, while LAFD continues to practice and prepare for the next big wildfire.
|
|
LAFD Extinguished Commercial Building Fire in Larchmont Area
Firefighters extinguished a late night fire Saturday inside a commercial building in Los Angeles’ Larchmont area. The stubborn blaze at 5030 Melrose Ave. was reported at 11:15 p.m. according to Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Brian Humphrey. The flames scorched an attic area of the building combining two separate and vacant areas of the structure, Humphrey said. The department sent 92 firefighters to the scene and knocked down the flames in about 36 minutes, he said.
|
|
Brush Fire Near Los Angeles Harbor College Under Investigation
A small brush fire scorched two acres near Los Angeles Harbor College in Harbor City Thursday morning. It took 51 firefighters a little more than two hours to extinguish the flames, according to Nicholas Prange of the Los Angeles Fire Department. Firefighters were called to the scene at the 1400 block of L Street at 3:10 a.m., and they had the fire knocked down by 5:20 a.m., said Prange. The blaze started behind the college's baseball diamond, just west of the Harbor (110) Freeway. Crews used a water shuttle, where fire engines take turns filling up at the nearest hydrant to drive water to the remote area where an engine fed hose lines to battle the flames, Prange said.
|
|
LAFD Knocks Down Garage Fire in Florence Area
Firefighters knocked down a blaze that destroyed a detached garage at a home in the Florence area of Los Angeles. The blaze at 205 Gage Ave. was reported at 11:59 p.m. Thursday, according to Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Nicholas Prange. The department dispatched 26 firefighters to the scene and knocked down the flames in about 18 minutes, Prange said.
|
|
Firefighters Battle Structure Blaze in Vacant 2-Story North Hollywood Commercial Building
The Los Angeles Fire Department battled responded to reports of a fire at 3:27 p.m. Saturday in a vacant two-story commercial building in North Hollywood. The building is located in the 6200 block of North Laurel Canyon Boulevard. Reports suggest that smoke can be seen rising from one location that’s connected to several other businesses in a strip mall. Fire crews are looking to see if flames have spread to any adjacent structures.
|
|
Brush Fire Burns One Acre Near 90, 405 Freeways In Playa Vista
It took 22 firefighters to knock down a slow-moving, one-acre brush fire in light fuel and light wind, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. The grass fire was reported about 12:29 p.m. near the eastbound 90 Freeway and Centinela Avenue, according to Nicholas Prange of the Los Angeles Fire Department. The flames were knocked down in about 1 hour and 19 minutes.
|
|
Driver dies after car crashes into home, starts fire after suspected street racing in Hancock Park
A young man was killed in a suspected street racing crash that apparently sparked a fire, burning a nearby home in Hancock Park, officials said Friday. At least two vehicles were possibly racing each other at a “very high rate of speed” when one of the cars lost control, hit a curb, went airborne and landed in a tree by a home’s garage around 11:30 p.m. Thursday, according to Los Angeles Police Department Capt. Brian Wendling. A family was inside the South Rimpau Boulevard home when the vehicle came barreling toward it.
|
|
Person Struck And Killed By Amtrak Train In North Hollywood
A person was struck and killed Saturday by an Amtrak Pacific Surfliner passenger train in North Hollywood. Firefighters and paramedics were dispatched at 9:07 a.m. to the area of the 7100 block of Lankershim Boulevard, where the pedestrian was pronounced dead at the scene, the Los Angeles Fire Department reported. There were no injuries aboard the train, according to Brian Humphrey of the Los Angeles Fire Department.
|
|
LAFD rescues tree trimmer trapped by palm fronds in Sherman Oaks
Los Angeles firefighters rescued a tree trimmer Saturday who was trapped by palm fronds while working on a tree in Sherman Oaks. The man, who was wearing tree-trimming gear, including heavy-duty boots — with a chain-saw tethered to his body — was conscious and alert when he was freed from the palm fronds Saturday morning on the 4400 block of Matilija Avenue, just north of Moorpark Street. Firefighters cut away the palm fronds and brought the man down from the 45-foot-tall tree using a rope system, said Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Brian Humphrey. The man was conscious and alert, Humphrey said. He was hospitalized with an undetermined injury.
|
|
Vehicle Slams into Unoccupied Church in South Los Angeles; Four Hurt
Four people suffered minor injuries Sunday evening when their vehicle slammed into an unoccupied church in the Green Meadows area of Los Angeles. The crash was reported at 9:35 p.m. at 954 E. 90th St., according to the Los Angeles Fire Department’s Brian Humphrey. The vehicle remained inside the building while paramedics evaluated a man, woman and two children for what appeared to be minor injuries to determine whether they needed to go to a hospital for treatment, Humphrey said.
|
|
LAFD Firefighters Rescue Kittens Living Inside Burned Home
Los Angeles fire investigators got a furry surprise when they returned to a previously burned home near MacArthur Park that been boarded up and discovered a litter of kittens. An LAFD crew from Arson Counter Terrorism returned to the home to investigate how the fire started and give the department's Accelerant Detection Canine Blue team more practice. That's when they found the kittens living in a small space under the floorboards, LAFD said. The kittens appear to be happy and healthy. The LAFD crew got the litter out from beneath the home and gave them some pet food. LAFD said they were concerned that the mother "was unable to return to her litter due to the house being boarded up after the fire," so once they rescued them, they delivered the kittens to LA Animal Services.
|
|
Tracking coronavirus vaccinations in California
Experts say about 85% of Americans will need to be vaccinated to bring the COVID-19 pandemic under control. This page tracks California’s progress toward that goal using data from state and federal authorities.
|
|
Remembering Our Fallen Brothers & Sisters |
|
Firefighter II
Ronald E. Hodge
Deceased: 6/12/2021
Appointed: 3/16/1962
Assignment: Supply & Maintenance
Retired: 8/10/1986
Captain I
Thomas J. Crowley
Deceased: 6/12/2021
Appointed: 4/1/1973
Assignment: FS 108
Retired: 7/22/2004
Engineer
Brian Hitchings
Deceased: 5/24/2021
Appointed: 4/30/1966
Assignment: FS 104
Retired: 6/18/1992
Firefighter III
Joanne Cameron
Deceased: 5/23/2021
Appointed: 12/18/1983
Assignment: Fire Safety Education Unit
Retired: 5/4/2002
|
|
Captain II
John E. Ruedy
Deceased: 5/22/2021
Appointed: 11/20/1989
Assignment: Disaster Response Section
Retired: Active
Captain
Thomas V. Rohrback
Deceased: 5/22/2021
Appointed: 11/7/1959
Assignment: FS 47
Retired: 1/31/1992
Fireman
David R. Hochenedel
Deceased: 5/18/2021
Appointed: 5/29/1951
Assignment: FS 63
Retired: 6/1/1980
Captain
Larry D. Simpson
Deceased: 5/14/2021
Appointed: 4/8/1961
Assignment: FS 96
Retired: 8/31/1986
|
|
Captain II
Mark A. Martinez
Deceased: 5/8/2021
Appointed: 12/14/1980
Assignment: FS 61
Retired: 1/30/2016
Engineer
Raymond R. Mayo, Jr.
Deceased: 5/7/2021
Appointed: 4/12/1981
Assignment: Metro Fire Dispatch
Retired: 10/31/2014
Captain
Arthur Stecher
Deceased: 5/1/2021
Appointed: 7/15/1947
Assignment: FS 100
Retired: 7/1/1977
Captain
Edward R. Villavicencio
Deceased: 4/30/2021
Appointed: 5/12/1962
Assignment: FS 98
Retired: 6/28/1993
|
|
|
|
UFLAC’s 2020 LAFD
Year In Review
On behalf of the approximately 3,400 Firefighters of United Firefighters of Los Angeles City, IAFF Local 112 (UFLAC), we are proud to present the 2020 Los Angeles Fire Department Year in Review. UFLAC’s mission is to lead the way to protect and advocate for the health, safety, working conditions, wages and benefits of our members and their families. This book helps to tell the story of our dedicated First Responders who continued to protect lives and property in Los Angeles while risking their own safety during an extraordinary year.
|
|
In 2020, our Firefighters and Paramedics responded to more than 444,000 emergency calls for service throughout Los Angeles - an average of 1,213 calls per day. As an all-risk fire and rescue agency serving more than four million people, the LAFD is one of the busiest fire departments in the country and we are ready to answer any call that may come our way. UFLAC is honored to help showcase the dedication and commitment demonstrated by the men and women of the LAFD. Click HERE to view the publication.
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
