January is Fire Fighter Cancer Awareness Month

Fire fighter occupational cancer is the leading cause of line-of-duty death in the fire service. At the 2023 IAFF Fallen Fire Fighter Memorial, 63% of the names added to the wall were members who had died from occupational cancer. In partnership with the Firefighter Cancer Support Network (FCSN), the IAFF has designated January as Fire Fighter Cancer Awareness Month to provide fire fighters the necessary tools and guidance to develop life-saving protocols for cancer prevention and to support those with a cancer diagnosis within their departments.

IAFF/FCSN

Photo by Jacob Terzoli

Man Found Dead After Fire in University Park Commercial Building Extinguished

The body of a middle-aged man was found by firefighters before sunrise Thursday after they knocked down a fire in a two-story commercial building in University Park. Firefighters were called at 2:24 a.m to 806 W. Adams Blvd., between Figueroa and Hoover streets, where they found flames engulfing the front of the 150-by-200-foot building, said Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Brian Humphrey. It took 92 firefighters one hour and 53 minutes to knock down the flames, then they discovered a middle-aged man critically burned. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

MyNewsLA

Fire destroys large commercial building in Van Nuys

The roof of a large building collapsed as firefighters battled flames Sunday night in a commercial business area in Van Nuys. More than 100 firefighters knocked down the fire in the 6400 block of Van Nuys Boulevard in about 2 hours and 39 minutes. The building housed a textile businesses and church. Details about how the fire, reported at about 9:30 a.m. started were not immediately available. Flames were shooting about 30 feet out of the building when firefighters arrived. Firefighters initially entered the building to ventilate the roof, but then fought the fire from outside due to a roof collapse. The fire, fueled by textiles, did not spread to nearby businesses.

NBC4

UFLAC Fire Foundation Announces New Scholarship

We are proud to announce the creation of the UFLAC/McNicholas & McNicholas Education Scholarship which will award a total of $50,000 in funding for children of UFLAC members. Thanks to the generous support of local Los Angeles resident and attorney Matthew McNicholas, The UFLAC/McNicholas & McNicholas Education Scholarship will award $12,500 to one eligible student each quarter in 2024. All applicants must have a parent or grandparent who is a member of UFLAC in good standing - or who was a UFLAC member and who has retired from the fire service within the last year. To learn more about eligibility and submission requirements for the Scholarship, please click HERE.

UFLAC Fire Foundation

Photo courtesy of the LAFD

Firefighters Say Remove and Recycle Your Christmas Tree

The LAFD encourages you to remove and recycle your natural Christmas Tree as soon as possible. In Los Angeles, convenient service is available with your weekly rubbish collection, or at special drop-off locations. For those living in the City of Los Angeles, LA Sanitation has curbside collection for Christmas trees to make it convenient to properly and safely recycle your tree. Residents with green yard trimming bins are encouraged to recycle their Christmas Trees by following 3 easy steps:

1. REMOVE all ornaments, decorations, tinsel and stand;

2. CUT the tree in pieces to fit inside the green bin; and

3. PLACE the tree pieces in the green bin for regular pick-up on collection day.

LAFD

Firefighters Put Out Christmas Tree-Caused Blaze at Two-Story Canoga Park Home

Firefighters took 53 minutes Saturday to put out a Christmas tree-caused blaze that destroyed a two-story home in Canoga Park. Firefighters were dispatched at 1:25 p.m. Saturday to 19817 W. Hatton St., a home built in 1986, which was well-involved with flames upon their arrival, the Los Angeles Fire Department reported. The man who lived inside the home was able to get out safely before firefighters arrived, the department’s Brian Humphrey said. The man told firefighters he was alerted by a functioning smoke alarm.

MyNewsLA/LAFD

Prompt LAFD Response Extinguishes Downtown LA Apartment Fire, Man Critically Injured

Early this morning, a fire erupted in a Downtown Los Angeles apartment building, but thanks to prompt action by the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD), the blaze was contained and extinguished within 17 minutes of the firefighter's arrival. The incident occurred at a six-story, center-hallway-styled apartment at 501 E 7th St, as detailed in an LAFD alert. A man is in critical condition following the event, with severe burns covering 30 percent of his body. Upon receiving an alarm from the building's fire monitoring service, LAFD personnel swiftly reached the scene and found the fire confined to one unit on the third floor. The 69-year-old male resident of the affected apartment has been transferred to a regional burn care facility, reported to be in a critical condition with second-degree burns.

Hoodline

Fire erupts through roof of Reseda home; cause under investigation

Firefighters were called to battle a blaze that burned through the roof of a Reseda home Monday morning. The fire was reported in a one-story home in the 6400 block of Donna Avenue shortly before 6:30 a.m., according to a Los Angeles Fire Department news alert. Sky5 was over the scene around 6:45 a.m. as firefighters on the roof worked to ventilate the structure. It took about 40 firefighters 22 minutes to extinguish the blaze.

KTLA5

Los Angeles Firefighters Extinguish Canoga Park Apartment Fire on New Year's Eve

Firefighters squelched a blaze at a Canoga Park apartment on New Year's Eve, confining the fire to a single room and averting wider destruction, the Los Angeles Fire Department reported. Light smoke was visible as responders arrived at the two-story garden-style building located at 7909 N Topanga Canyon Boulevard.

Crews discovered a fire within the unit but were able to prevent it from spreading through the structure.

According to the official LAFD alert, it took 32 firefighters a mere 15 minutes to access and extinguish the flames which at the time were showing light smoke they found inside and moved diligently to control, the flames by deploying hose lines and containing the damage to just the room-of-origin.

Hoodline

Firefighters Quell Greater Alarm Blaze at Downtown Los Angeles Commercial Building

Firefighters battled a blaze at a downtown Los Angeles commercial building yesterday afternoon, with smoke billowing from the single-story structure as flames threatened adjacent properties. According to the Los Angeles Fire Department's alert, the fire broke out at 1212 S Olive St around 3:30 PM, necessitating a defensive approach to contain the fire. The Los Angeles Fire Department confirmed that the fire originated in a storage area within the building, which housed an assortment of building materials, after crews forced entry into the densely smoke-logged structure they encountered the closet/structure where the fire had not only consumed materials but also inflicted damage on some of the building's larger structural elements.

Hoodline

Firefighters Extinguish Fire at North Hollywood Church

Firefighters quickly extinguished a fire Wednesday at a one-story vacant church in North Hollywood. Fire crews responded at 2:25 a.m. to 7005 N. Radford Ave. between Hart and Vose streets where they found smoke coming from the church, said Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Nicholas Prange. It took 30 firefighters 20 minutes to put out the flames.

MyNewsLA

Firefighters Quell New Year's Day Blaze in Mid-Wilshire Home

Flames ravaged a two-story single-family home in Mid-Wilshire on New Year’s Day, drawing a swift response from Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) units. The blaze, which broke out at approximately 3:38 p.m. at 1303 S Tremaine Avenue, presented fiercely through the windows of the residence. LAFD firefighters immediately began a transitional attack to mitigate the inferno, a technique involving hose lines directed upward through windows to cool the atmosphere before moving in more aggressively, as reported by the LAFD alert system. It did take 30 firefighters a mere 17 minutes to access and subdue the fire which they did with determination.

Hoodline

Firefighters Knock Down Fire Inside Van Nuys Home

Firefighters knocked down a contents fire inside a single-story home in Van Nuys Sunday, authorities said.

The first 18 firefighters dispatched at 12:37 p.m. to 7317 N. Tyrone Ave. had the fire out within 12 minutes of their arrival, the Los Angeles Fire Department reported. “Thankfully, the sole occupant and his dog both escaped unharmed, however the home was not equipped with smoke alarms,” the LAFD’s Nicholas Prange said. “If the fire had started overnight, the outcome may have been tragic.”

MyNewsLA

Firefighters Quickly Extinguish Blaze at Vacant Sun Valley Triplex, No Injuries Reported

A fire erupted in a multi-unit home in Sun Valley, with firefighters scrambling to contain the blaze on Tuesday afternoon. According to a Los Angeles Fire Department alert, the incident occurred at 7321 N Vineland Avenue, where smoke was seen billowing from the one-story residence around 1:23 p.m. The LAFD declared an offensive mode against the fire, as crews from Stations including FS 89, Battalion 14 worked diligently to combat the flames in a home reportedly converted into a vacant triplex, the department's alert noted, however, firefighters engaged in a coordinated attack consisting of an interior surge and strategic rooftop ventilation, their efforts were executed with precision and speed, leading to a knockdown of the fire in a mere 14 minutes.

Hoodline

LAFD Extinguishes Oven Fire at Hollywood Apartment with No Injuries Reported

Firefighters in Hollywood extinguished an oven blaze in a two-story apartment building yesterday, preventing what could have rapidly become a more serious incident. According to the Los Angeles Fire Department, the first unit of firefighters arrived at 5445 W Sierra Vista Av to find light smoke wafting from the premises. The LAFD responded quickly, reportedly needing only 12 minutes to access, to confine effectively, and extinguish the small fire, which had started in an oven and damaged the wall closest to it. The firefighting team consisted of 24 personnel who swiftly deployed hose lines and tackled the flames before they could spread.

Hoodline

Sprinklers Keep Flames from Spreading through Chinatown Business

What was described as a small but stubborn fire was held in check by sprinklers Saturday evening at a clothing business in the Chinatown area of Los Angeles. The fire was reported at 6:41 p.m. Saturday at 821 N. Spring St., according to the Los Angeles Fire Department’s Brian Humphrey. It was in a second-floor business of the large two-story row of commercial units. It took firefighters 41 minutes to access, confine and fully put out the fire at 7:22 p.m., Humphrey said. A man was found in or near the burning business suffering from apparent smoke inhalation and was questioned by police and fire investigators “to determine his relationship with the fire,” while paramedics prepared him for transport to a hospital, he said.

MyNewsLA

Firefighters Quell Hollywood Apartment Blaze Allegedly Sparked by Wall Heater

Firefighters in Hollywood tackled a blaze on Thursday evening at a three-story apartment building that erupted near a wall heater, according to a Los Angeles Fire Department alert. The LAFD reported the fire started in one second-floor unit of the Las Palmas Hotel on 1738 N Las Palmas Avenue at around 8:12 PM. The knockdown report revealed that it took a squad of 38 firefighters a swift 21 minutes to contain and extinguish the flames which were kept in check by a fire sprinkler. The ignition point appeared to be in the vicinity of a wall heater, fire officials stated.

Hoodline

Los Angeles Firefighters Extinguish Canoga Park Carport Blaze, Save Nearby Apartment Complex

Early this morning, flames engulfed a carport in Canoga Park, menacing a nearby apartment complex before firefighters were able to squelch the conflagration. According to a Los Angeles Fire Department alert, the fire erupted at around 7:43 AM at 8240 N Owensmouth Avenue, with the blaze consuming a detached carport and several vehicles it sheltered. It threatened a two-story garden-style apartment building, setting a race against time for the city's firefighters. The Los Angeles Fire Department successfully subdued the flames in just 25 minutes, according to a follow-up announcement detailing the incident.

Hoodline

LAFD Knocks Down Boat Fire in Wilmington

Firefighters extinguished a fire on a power boat Sunday in Wilmington. The fire broke out around 3 p.m. Sunday, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department, which reported smoke showing from the approximately 25-foot watercraft. The department dispatched 34 firefighters to the site and they extinguished the flames in 17 minutes, spokesman Nicholas Prange said. The firefighters extended hose lines from the dock to put water on the fire, protecting the dock and vessels in slips on either side of the burning boat, Prange continued.

MyNewsLA

Father, mother, daughter killed after grisly two-car crash in Harvard Park

A grisly two-car collision killed a father, mother and daughter in the Harvard Park area on New Year's Eve.

Investigators said that the crash happened at about 11:20 p.m., when an SUV speeding from the spot of a separate crash failed to stop at a stop sign on 60th Place and Normandie Avenue, colliding with a sedan traveling southbound on Normandie Avenue. The collision sent the sedan hurtling into a street sign and fence on the southwest corner of the intersection, police said. Good Samaritans attempted to remove the four passengers from the smoking car before paramedics could arrive. The sedan was occupied by a family of four, three of whom died. The Los Angeles Fire Department said that the father and his 5-year-old daughter died on New Year's Eve. On Tuesday, the Los Angeles Police Department announced that the mother had died in the hospital after suffering critical injuries.

CBSLA

1 dead, 2 hospitalized in Winnetka crash

One person was killed and two people were hospitalized in a three-car crash Thursday morning in Winnetka. The crash was reported at about 7 a.m. in the 8900 block of Winnetka Avenue. A man died at the scene. Two adults were hospitalized in serious, but stable condition.

NBC4

2 killed, 8 injured in shooting at underground New Year's Eve party in downtown LA

Two people are dead and eight others wounded after a shooting at an underground New Year's party in downtown Los Angeles, authorities said. The shooting happened at about 1 a.m. Monday at the intersection of South Santa Fe Avenue and Porter Street, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. Two of the victims, a man and a woman, died at the scene. At least three were rushed to the hospital in various conditions, according to authorities. The majority of the injured victims were self-transported to the hospital, said LAPD Lt. Adkins.

ABC7

2 dead, 4 injured in violent multi-car crash in Canoga Park

A crash involving four vehicles claimed the lives of two people and sent four others to the hospital, authorities said. Preliminary information from a Los Angeles Fire Department release indicates that the collision occurred around 1:45 a.m. Sunday morning in the 7600 block of Topanga Canyon Boulevard in Canoga Park. Two of the victims, only identified as a man and a woman of unknown age, were pronounced dead at the scene after being trapped in the wreckage of the four-car crash. Two other victims were taken to local hospitals and were said to be in critical condition.

KTLA5

2 people critically injured in two-vehicle crash in Van Nuys

Six people, including a child, were injured during a two-vehicle crash Saturday in Van Nuys, authorities said. Firefighters and paramedics were dispatched to 6121 N. Woodman Ave., just north of Oxnard Street, at 12:51 p.m. Saturday, the Los Angeles Fire Department reported. Two of the six patients were briefly trapped in the wreckage, and two of the five people hospitalized were in critical condition, officials said.

CBSLA

LAPD officer assaulted by homeless man at Metro station

A man experiencing homelessness was behind bars and was accused of assaulting a Los Angeles Police Department officer at a Metro station in North Hollywood. A suspect was behind bars Friday and faces charges of assault on a police officer after the officer was attacked at a Metro station in North Hollywood. This attack is the latest in a series of violent incidents plaguing the Metro line system. The incident happened at the Metro Station on Lankershim Thursday night when the officer was conducting what’s called an end-of-the-line check. Basically, the train was at the end of its line and needed to be taken out for service for cleaning and maintenance. Investigators said the suspect, a homeless man who earlier had another encounter with police, was cited and ordered out of the Metro Station. However, the suspect did not want to get off the train. He refused and then began fighting with the officers.

Fox11

Body found in lake at Los Angeles park

Authorities with the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner are investigating after a dead body was found in the water at Ken Malloy Harbor Regional Park on Tuesday. According to the Los Angeles Fire Department, calls about the body came in at around 4:10 p.m. after several people reported seeing it in Machado Lake, located at 25999 S. Normandie in Harbor City. Aerial footage of the scene captured by Sky5 showed an ambulance on site, as well as officers with the Los Angeles Police Department’s Harbor Division. 

KTLA5

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline

We can all help prevent suicide. The Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals in the United States.

988

Firefighter's Cancer Leads Wife to Discovery of Toxic Gear Killing Heroes Across U.S.: ‘It’s Infuriating’

In the months following Paul Cotter’s 2014 prostate cancer diagnosis, his wife, Diane, watched helplessly as her once healthy and fit husband, a lieutenant with Massachusetts’ Worcester Fire Department, spent his days wasting away in the recliner. “I couldn’t get him out of that chair,” says Diane, 63, of Paul, now 64, in this week's issue of PEOPLE. “He was literally leaving me physically and emotionally, and I couldn’t do anything about it.” Diane was convinced that Paul’s cancer was the result of toxic smoke and gases he was exposed to because of a failure in the protective coat and pants — known as turnout gear — worn while battling fires. So one day she rummaged through his gear in the basement, inspecting it with his powerful flashlight, and made a startling discovery.

People

Engineer

Thomas E. Baltzer

Deceased: 12/28/2023

Appointed: 11/7/1959

Assignment: FS 95

Retired: 11/26/1989

Battalion Chief

Gary E. Rummell

Deceased: 12/25/2023

Appointed: 2/20/1960

Assignment: Battalion 9

Retired: 3/24/1994

Engineer

Clarence R. Lindsay

Deceased: 12/20/2023

Appointed: 2/3/1958

Assignment: FS 108

Retired: 6/29/1980

Firefighter III

Thomas J. Kenyon

Deceased: 12/12/2023

Appointed: 7/22/1973

Assignment: FS 2

Retired: 8/23/2008

Firefighter III

James L. Stiglich

Deceased: 12/5/2023

Appointed: 6/4/1987

Assignment: FS 100

Retired: 6/8/2013

Fire Inspector

Paul R. Olson

Deceased: 12/1/2023

Appointed: 6/16/1955

Assignment: Building Standards Unit

Retired: 1/11/1986

Captain I

Michael G. Ziemann

Deceased: 11/23/2023

Appointed: 1/16/1965

Assignment: FS 19

Retired: 10/25/1996

Fireman

Anton J. Felando

Deceased: 11/21/2023

Appointed: 12/19/1955

Assignment: FS 38

Retired: 1/3/1981

Fireman

Stephen C. Morgan

Deceased: 11/20/2023

Appointed: 4/20/1963

Assignment: Hydrants Unit

Retired: 10/25/1981

Fireman

Tom G. Harrison

Deceased: 11/19/2023

Appointed: 6/16/1955

Assignment: FS 49

Retired: 4/16/1987

Fire Inspector II

Dennis G. Bogard

Deceased: 11/18/2023

Appointed: 2/25/1970

Assignment: FPB Legal Unit

Retired: 2/28/2007

Fireman

Dale H. Messmann

Deceased: 11/15/2023

Appointed: 11/24/1962

Assignment: FS 92

Retired: 7/20/1988