“After a thorough investigation, LAFD and the ATF officials determined that the fire was deliberately set,” Assistant Chief Blake Chow said Tuesday. “Investigators have developed a strong lead on a suspect and are hopeful that the arrest will be made soon.”

The fire was first reported around 3:45 a.m. last Friday at an unfinished building between Bunker Hill Avenue and New Depot Street adjacent to the lanes of the 110 Freeway.

Intense flames from the burning unfinished building, which was mostly exposed wooden framing on a concrete base, damaged dozens of units in three other apartment buildings that faced the construction site.

Fifty one residents were displaced from their apartments as a result of the fire, and at least one of the adjacent buildings was closed and red tagged because of the damage, city officials said.

Two residents, including a 90-year-old man, were taken to a hospital in critical condition, and four firefighters were injured.

Chow said three displaced residents were later the victims of a burglaries that took place in the damaged and closed apartment buildings.

LAFD Sep 13

Fire at Chinatown apartment building leaves 6 injured

Los Angeles May 26

4 cars torched in Chinatown; Vandal remains on the loose

Some neighbors said the apartment complex has been under construction for a couple of years and has caught on fire in the past, and others complained that there was a homeless encampment on the property of the unfinished building.

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Over 50 residents were left displaced after the fire started at around 3:45 a.m. in an apartment building that was under construction, and then spread to other buildings that were occupied by residents. 

The Los Angeles Fire Department responded to the fire on the 800 block of Bunker Hill Avenue at an apartment building that has been under construction.

Neighbors said the apartment complex has been under construction for a couple of years and has caught on fire in the past.

A 90-year-old man was rushed to the hospital in critical condition and a 55-year-old woman’s hand was burned.

“There is damage to the three buildings on the south and west side, the extent of which is still being assessed,” LAFD said.

A team of 130 firefighters worked to extinguish the flames in about an hour and a half.

Four people, including a firefighter were injured in the fire. At least 10 people were left displaced due to the fire, LAFD said.

Neighbors said they had expressed their concerns about a potential fire due to a nearby homeless population.

The Red Cross was also on scene to assist the fire department. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

The adult man, who officials said was conscious and alert, became trapped inside the 8-foot ditch as he was stuck in soil up to his waist.

“We are proud to say that the patient has been rescued after an approximate six-hour delicate procedure and is now in the care of our LAFD medical professionals,” Cpt. Erik Scott with the Los Angeles City Fire Department announced on social media.

Officials were initially concerned that the man may suffer from crash injuries from the pressure of being stuck in a compacted space.

It’s not clear how the man fell into the trench, but he was doing construction work at a hillside home, officials said.

As the rescue operation was underway, the temperature in the Los Feliz area reached well over 100 degrees, creating challenges for crews who had to hike up the hillside with heavy equipment and protective gear.

“It’s very hot. Very arduous work,” Scott explained. “We called for waves of additional firefighters to where some of them you see might look like they’re resting. That’s because they are exactly resting, so we could rotate crews of qualified members in and out to continually work.”

Newschopper4 was overhead as the rescue operation was underway next to what appears to be a construction site to build a pool.

Los Feliz Jun 28

Watch: Hit-and-run driver plows truck through Los Feliz cafe

Los Feliz May 18, 2023

Man Found Dead After Cars Go Up in Flames at Los Feliz Home

Responding firefighters and paramedics had to stabilize the trench walls before trying to pull the man out of the ditch, the LAFD said. 

The fire department had its medical director, two nurse practitioners as well as paramedics on the scene so they could treat the worker as soon as he was rescued.

The fire was reported at about 3 p.m. at a two-story home in the 10100 block of West Toluca Lake Avenue in the San Fernando Valley community.

Two cats were found dead after the fire. Two other cats were missing.

There were no immediate reports of injuries. Details about how the fire started were not available.

LAFD Alert- #TolucaLake Greater Alarm Structure Fire 10186 W Toluca Lake Av MAP: https://t.co/PhAFK8WsPT FS86; Two-Story Home With Heavy Fire Showing From Both Floors. DETAILS: https://t.co/h58F2ZvECm

— LAFD 🔥 (@LAFD) August 19, 2024

“After a thorough investigation, LAFD and the ATF officials determined that the fire was deliberately set,” Assistant Chief Blake Chow said Tuesday. “Investigators have developed a strong lead on a suspect and are hopeful that the arrest will be made soon.”

The fire was first reported around 3:45 a.m. last Friday at an unfinished building between Bunker Hill Avenue and New Depot Street adjacent to the lanes of the 110 Freeway.

Intense flames from the burning unfinished building, which was mostly exposed wooden framing on a concrete base, damaged dozens of units in three other apartment buildings that faced the construction site.

Fifty one residents were displaced from their apartments as a result of the fire, and at least one of the adjacent buildings was closed and red tagged because of the damage, city officials said.

Two residents, including a 90-year-old man, were taken to a hospital in critical condition, and four firefighters were injured.

Chow said three displaced residents were later the victims of a burglaries that took place in the damaged and closed apartment buildings.

LAFD Sep 13

Fire at Chinatown apartment building leaves 6 injured

Los Angeles May 26

4 cars torched in Chinatown; Vandal remains on the loose

Some neighbors said the apartment complex has been under construction for a couple of years and has caught on fire in the past, and others complained that there was a homeless encampment on the property of the unfinished building.

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Video showed the man climbing down into the chimney like Santa Claus from the rooftop of the building in the 1300 block of South Flower Street. He appeared to hold onto a metal bar above the chimney before losing his grip.

Firefighters used cameras to pinpoint the man’s location in the chimney, which extended through all four stories of the building. LAFD Urban Search and Rescue crews broke through an interior wall and entered the shaft below the man. Rescuers were able to slide the man down the chimney to safety.

The man, believed about 25 years old, was freed at about 10 p.m. He was hospitalized with moderate injuries.

Details about why the man entered the chimney were not immediately available.

Jacob Fuerte was 10 weeks into a 20-week training program and on his way to a drill station and following in his father’s footsteps, a 17-year veteran of the Los Angeles Fire Department, when he got out of his vehicle at the scene of a crash on the 101 Freeway Monday morning in Studio City. As he attempted to help other people involved in the multi-vehicle wreck, Fuerte was apparently struck in what authorities are investigating as a hit-and-run crash, according to authorities.

LA Mayor Karen Bass said during her State of the City address Monday night that she instructed city officials to lower City Hall flags to half staff in honor of Fuerte.

The crash was reported around 5 a.m. Monday. Video showed a car and Jeep Wrangler that appeared to have collided with a truck towing portable restrooms on a trailer. Details about what led to the initial crash were not available, but the California Highway Patrol said several 911 calls were received about the collision with some indicating a person was ejected onto the freeway.

Fuerte got out of his vehicle at the scene when he was hit by another vehicle, the CHP crash report said.

“An LAFD recruit on his way to the Drill Tower Academy for training may have been involved in a traffic collision,” the LAFD said in a statement. “He got out of his vehicle to likely assess the situation and help anyone in need when he was hit by another car. Our own firefighter paramedics responded quickly to the scene, but unfortunately, they had to declare our member deceased.”

A procession that included fire department vehicles escorted the recruit’s body to the coroner’s office.

He is survived by his father, two sisters, and a brother.   

Studio City Apr 15

LAFD recruit killed at scene of crash on 101 Freeway in Studio City

Studio City Apr 15

LAFD recruit killed while helping crash victims on 101 Freeway in Studio City

“I received devastating news this morning that one of our firefighters lost their life tragically. He had just started his firefighting career, which requires courage, bravery, and prioritizing others before oneself,” LAFD Chief Kristin Crowley said in a statement. “Our thoughts and prayers remain with his family during this most difficult time.”

Details about what led to the crash were not immediately available. The California Highway Patrol said it was investigating this incident as a hit-and-run crash.

Anyone with information about the crash was asked to contact the CHP West Valley Area Office at 818-888-0980.

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The fire department said at around 5:15 a.m., Fuerte was on his way to the Drill Tower Fire Academy when he got out of his car to provide assistance. 

“An LAFD recruit on his way to the Drill Tower Academy for training may have been involved in a traffic collision,” the LAFD said in a statement. “He got out of his vehicle to likely assess the situation and help anyone in need when he was hit by another car. Our own firefighter paramedics responded quickly to the scene, but unfortunately, they had to declare our member deceased.”

The father of the deceased is a 17-year veteran firefighter and paramedic, who taught his own son “the importance of helping those in need.”

LA Mayor Karen Bass said during her State of the City address that she instructed city officials to lower City Hall flags to half staff in honor of Fuerte.

The crash involved a car, Jeep Wrangler and a truck towing portable restrooms. The victim died at the scene, where video showed a sedan and Jeep Wrangler that appeared to have crashed into the truck’s trailer.

“Tragically, during that process, he likely may have been struck by another vehicle,” said LAFD Capt. Erik Scott.

A procession that included fire department vehicles escorted the recruit’s body to the coroner’s office.

Studio City Apr 15

LAFD recruit killed at scene of crash on 101 Freeway in Studio City

Studio City Apr 15

LAFD recruit killed while helping crash victims on 101 Freeway in Studio City

“I received devastating news this morning that one of our firefighters lost their life tragically. He had just started his firefighting career, which requires courage, bravery, and prioritizing others before oneself,” LAFD Chief Kristin Crowley said in a statement. “Our thoughts and prayers remain with his family during this most difficult time.”

Details about what led to the crash were not immediately available. The California Highway Patrol said it was investigating this incident as a hit-and-run crash.

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d’Lisa Davies, who retired from the fire department in 2015, was recognized during a LA Board of Fire Commissioners meeting for her contributions to equal career opportunities within the fire service and representing women in the African American community. 

“This is why we’re here,” said Fire Chief Kristin M. Crowley, pointing to Davies. “I wanna focus on you and your legacy.” 

Davies joined the LAFD in 1984 after serving in the military as a telecommunication specialist. 

Davies said her a-ha moment came after witnessing a physical extrication, where firefighters cut open a vehicle to remove the passenger inside.

“I grew up with my dad working on cars and my uncles in construction,” Davies recalled. “I saw that rolling tool box. I got excited, so I put in the application.”

Davies went on to spend the first 22 years combating fires in the areas of South LA, Boyle Heights, Lincoln Heights and Highland Park. She was then assigned to the Recruitment Unit designed to provide outreach programs to assist in mentoring potential recruits for the LAFD.

According to the California Firefighters Joint Apprenticeship Committee, she helped develop programs, including the mentoring program, mock oral interview preparation, CPAT simulated practice and testing, military recruitment, the literature transition program and the high school outreach program.  

Her work specifically focused on recruiting women and underrepresented communities. In 2005, Davies was nominated to the California Professional Firefighters Committee to recruit women into the fire service.

After she was promoted to captain in 2009, Davies served in the Bureau of Fire Prevention and Safety, supervising the Legal Liaison Unit and the Environmental Unit. She would later retire in October 2015 after 31 years of public service.

Davies still provides mentoring support for the LAFD Youth Metro Fire Academy and continues to share her experience and advice for future generations of firefighters. 

“This is overwhelming for me,” Davies said. “I just wanna tell everybody thank you and for letting me be a part of this fire department.”

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The Los Angeles Fire Department responded at about 5:30 a.m. to the property in the 3700 block of North Cahuenga Boulevard near the 101 Freeway. A detached building behind the Baked Potato was on fire with flames threatening the business.

“Firefighters found a detached A/V room with fire inside behind the main building, with flames threatening the commercial,” the LAFD said in a statement. “Crews quickly deployed hose lines to the rear and extinguished the flames, keeping them from extending inside the main portion of the business.”

Crews knocked down the fire in 17 minutes.

Details about a cause were not immediately available. No injuries were reported.

The music venue and restaurant on the northern end of the Cahuenga Pass between Hollywood and the San Fernando Valley has welcomed musicians since 1970.

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The fire was reported just before 11 a.m. at a two-story home in the 10200 block of North Silverton Avenue. Fire extinguished flames on a lower floor of the home in about 20 minutes.

One person found dead after the fire. Details about a cause of death were not immediately available.

Another person was hospitalized with symptoms of smoke inhalation, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. It was not immediately clear whether that person was the individual who was detained.

The LAPD said the death is being investigated as a homicide.

Details about a cause of the fire were not immediately available.

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“After a thorough investigation, LAFD and the ATF officials determined that the fire was deliberately set,” Assistant Chief Blake Chow said Tuesday. “Investigators have developed a strong lead on a suspect and are hopeful that the arrest will be made soon.”

The fire was first reported around 3:45 a.m. last Friday at an unfinished building between Bunker Hill Avenue and New Depot Street adjacent to the lanes of the 110 Freeway.

Intense flames from the burning unfinished building, which was mostly exposed wooden framing on a concrete base, damaged dozens of units in three other apartment buildings that faced the construction site.

Fifty one residents were displaced from their apartments as a result of the fire, and at least one of the adjacent buildings was closed and red tagged because of the damage, city officials said.

Two residents, including a 90-year-old man, were taken to a hospital in critical condition, and four firefighters were injured.

Chow said three displaced residents were later the victims of a burglaries that took place in the damaged and closed apartment buildings.

LAFD Sep 13

Fire at Chinatown apartment building leaves 6 injured

Los Angeles May 26

4 cars torched in Chinatown; Vandal remains on the loose

Some neighbors said the apartment complex has been under construction for a couple of years and has caught on fire in the past, and others complained that there was a homeless encampment on the property of the unfinished building.

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One of the firefighters, a 37-year-old, 9-year LAFD veteran, was airlifted to a burn center for specialty care, LAFD Capt. Erik Scott said Friday. The other hospitalized firefighter was in critical, but stable condition Friday morning.

The other seven were released from the hospital. Their injuries include burns, injuries from flying shrapnel and what the LAFD described as effects to their hearing.

Wilmington Feb 15

9 LA firefighters injured in compressed natural gas truck explosion in Wilmington

Wilmington Feb 15

Wilmington truck explosion caught on camera

They were putting out the compressed natural gas truck fire Thursday morning in the 1100 block of North Alameda Street when one of the vehicle’s two 100-gallon CNG fuel tanks pressurized to at least 3,000 psi exploded.

“Crews applied water to the flames and nearly completed extinguishment, when catastrophe struck,” Scott said. “One of the tanks exploded violently, immediately injuring nine LAFD firefighters. Crews quickly declared a “Mayday” on the radio for “firefighters down.” Some of the nearby firefighters were thrown dozens of feet from their location and knocked out temporarily. Some of the less-injured crew members scrambled to help the more severely injured.”

Remnants of the fuel tank were found hundreds of from the truck, a big rig cab without a trailer. Security camera video of the explosion showed a giant fireball rising above the South Bay community.

“The unique aspect of this vehicle is that it’s not run on diesel or gasoline, but it is actually propelled with CNG, or compressed natural gas,” Scott said Thursday. “The explosion was significant. The ball of flame was as high as these telephone poles.”

The truck driver was not injured. The driver called 911 after noticing something wrong with the truck, firefighters said.

In a statement Friday, the trucking company said is is working with authorities to determine what happened.

“HLT is aware of the explosion of one of our compressed natural gas (CNG) trucks in Wilmington, California on the morning of Thursday, February 15,” the company said. “We and our advisors are currently investigating the incident and are working with authorities to determine the cause. We are grateful to the firefighters who responded to the scene and our thoughts are with those who were injured in the course of ensuring others’ safety.”

Compressed natural gas (CNG) is a fuel gas composed mainly of methane that is stored in hard pressurized containers.

CNG vehicles have spark-ignited internal combustion engines, much like gasoline-powered vehicles. The CNG that powers the vehicle is stored in a cylinder that supplies fuel to fuel lines, which have a pressure regulator. The CNG eventually enters a combustion chamber, where it mixes with air and is compressed and ignited by a spark plug.

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About six minutes later, nine firefighters who were putting out the fire were injured when one of the truck’s two compressed natural gas tanks exploded. At least two firefighters were hospitalized in critical condition. Other people were being assessed for injuries at the scene.

“The unique aspect of this vehicle is that it’s not run on diesel or gasoline, but it is actually propelled with CNG, or compressed natural gas,” said LAFD Capt. Erik Scott. “The explosion was significant. The ball of flame was as high as these telephone poles.”

Two 100-gallon compressed natural gas tanks were on the truck, the LAFD said. Firefighters remained at the scene to release gas from the second tank on the burned out truck.

“Frankly, it’s remarkable that none of them were more severely injured after watching the footage,” said Molly R. Deane, of Harbor-UCLA Medical Center.

Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Kristin Crowley said one of the critically injured firefighters was stable, but will stay at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center for additional observation.

“He was awake and alert and talking,” Crowley said.

The second critically injured firefighter was intubated and transferred to Los Angeles General Medical Center for treatment at a burn unit.

The truck driver was not injured. The driver called 911 after noticing something wrong with the truck, firefighters said.

Compressed natural gas (CNG) is a fuel gas composed mainly of methane that is stored in hard pressurized containers.

CNG vehicles have spark-ignited internal combustion engines, much like gasoline-powered vehicles. The CNG that powers the vehicle is stored in a cylinder that supplies fuel to fuel lines, which have a pressure regulator. The CNG eventually enters a combustion chamber, where it mixes with air and is compressed and ignited by a spark plug.

Firefighters responded to a debris fire at about 3 a.m. to the 7500 block of South Normandie Avenue in the Manchester Square area. The captain suffered a non-life-threatening injury when the cylinder exploded at the encampment in an abandoned subterranean tunnel in the South Los Angeles community.

The captain was taken to a hospital in fair condition.

No other injuries were reported. Details about a cause of the fire were not immediately available.

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Two residents were hospitalized after the fire in the 1300 block of North Cherokee Avenue. One was in grave condition.

Four firefighters were hospitalized, but none of their injuries are considered life-threatening.

When firefighters arrived at the burning one-story home, they encountered flames, heavy smoke and a metal security door locked on both sides. They used a power saw to cut through the locked door.

“This shows how important it is for our firefighters to be well versed on focible entry,” said LAFD Capt. Adam Vangerpen. “We test our tools and equipment every single day because lives are on the line when we get there.”

A flashover occurred when fire crews were inside the building.

The fire was extinguished in about 30 minutes.

Details about a cause were not immediately available.

The incident was reported on Thursday afternoon in the 15100 block of W. Parthenia in North Hills. 

Rescue division officers responded on the ground and in the air, but they did not find any trapped victims. 

The authorities reported that the car involved appeared to have been abandoned and dragged into the river due to the rain.

As a precautionary measure, the rescue units did a preliminary search in nearby areas to rule out that any person was swept away by the current, but no victims were found. 

The LAFD closed the investigation and classified it as a false alarm to make rescue units available for other emergencies. 

The rains hitting Southern California this week have flooded areas in the Ventura and LA counties. 

The National Weather Service issued several warnings for possible flooding until rains are expected to stop on Friday. 

The crash was reported on the southbound 405 Freeway and Victory Boulevard. No other vehicles were involved.

Firefighter-paramedics used hand and power tools to rescue the driver from the dump truck. The driver was hospitalized, but details about his condition were not immediately available.

Firefighters also contained a fuel spill from the overturned truck’s tank.

Traffic was backed up for miles on the southbound side of the freeway.

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“After a thorough investigation, LAFD and the ATF officials determined that the fire was deliberately set,” Assistant Chief Blake Chow said Tuesday. “Investigators have developed a strong lead on a suspect and are hopeful that the arrest will be made soon.”

The fire was first reported around 3:45 a.m. last Friday at an unfinished building between Bunker Hill Avenue and New Depot Street adjacent to the lanes of the 110 Freeway.

Intense flames from the burning unfinished building, which was mostly exposed wooden framing on a concrete base, damaged dozens of units in three other apartment buildings that faced the construction site.

Fifty one residents were displaced from their apartments as a result of the fire, and at least one of the adjacent buildings was closed and red tagged because of the damage, city officials said.

Two residents, including a 90-year-old man, were taken to a hospital in critical condition, and four firefighters were injured.

Chow said three displaced residents were later the victims of a burglaries that took place in the damaged and closed apartment buildings.

LAFD Sep 13

Fire at Chinatown apartment building leaves 6 injured

Los Angeles May 26

4 cars torched in Chinatown; Vandal remains on the loose

Some neighbors said the apartment complex has been under construction for a couple of years and has caught on fire in the past, and others complained that there was a homeless encampment on the property of the unfinished building.

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Firefighters responded to the fire around 6:30 a.m. in the 1200 block of North Lyman Place. The fire at the two-story duplex was knocked down in 17 minutes.

During a search of the building, they found one person on the first floor of the residence who was transported to the hospital in critical condition. A second person who was inside the building also was hospitalized, but details about that individual’s condition were not immediately available.

A firefighter was hospitalized with non-life-threatening burn injuries.

Details about a cause of the fire were not immediately available.

Correction: A previous version of this article indicated the location was East Los Angeles.

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The fire was reported around 12:30 a.m. in a 40,000-square-foot building in the 7500 block of East Rosecrans Avenue. Firefighters took up positions outside the burning building as flames shot through the roof and a large cloud of black smoke formed over the southern Los Angeles County community.

Medical supplies, including masks and sanitizer, were being stored in the warehouse.

It was not immediately clear how the fire started.

The fire was reported out at 4:45 a.m.

Firefighters were called at about 1:30 a.m. to the 4100 block of S. Broadway and 41st streets. Heavy smoke was billowing through the roof of the Best Bargain store and there were signs of possible structural collapse, forcing firefighters to battle the fire from the outside. 

The department deployed used a RS3 robotic firefighting vehicle inside the building. The bright yellow robot has tracks like a tank. Hooked to a hose line, it can enter structurally compromised buildings and spray water from the inside as firefighters control the vehicle remotely from outside.

A home behind the store was not damaged.

More than 80 firefighters extinguished the flames in about 90 minutes. No injuries were reported.

Details about a cause were not available. Firefighters remained at the scene later Saturday morning. 

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The buyback event is scheduled for Saturday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Brand Park parking lot in Mission Hills.

Fourth of July Jun 26, 2023

Fourth of July fireworks and drones will sparkle across Southern California

San Bernardino Jun 27, 2023

About 5,000 pounds of illegal fireworks found inside San Bernardino home

In return for their fireworks, people will receive gift cards to places like Target, gas stations or local amusement parks.

The buyback program is entirely anonymous and aims to remove illegal fireworks from the community. The city asked that fireworks be brought to the event in the vehicle’s trunk.

Fire Code prohibits storing, manufacturing, selling, using or handling fireworks without a permit in unincorporated locations. 

Last year, it is estimated that 11,500 people were injured by fireworks, with the majority of these injuries happening between June 18 and July 18. 

The LAFD encourages people to attend any of the public fireworks shows done by licensed professionals.

The suspect is identified as 34-year-old Delano Thompson. Investigators are still gathering more information on the series of fires but they believe he is responsible for eight, according to officials from the Los Angeles Police Department and Los Angeles Fire Department arson investigators.

“There are a lot more fires that we are dealing with in the Fairfax district, and we anticipate… charging him with more fires” said Detective Roger Allen.

Los Angeles Jun 8, 2023

Video shows classic pickup go up in flames as Fairfax residents fear serial arsonist

Virginia May 2, 2023

‘Well Over 120 mph': Dash-Cam Video Shows Out-of-Control Car Nearly Hit Officer in Crash

Investigators put out a crime alert last week for Thompson after he was caught on camera getting into his vehicle after setting a car on fire, authorities said. Two more cars were burned on that following Saturday in an overnight garage fire nearby.

Officials flagged Thompson’s vehicle, which was spotted in the Sunland area on Wednesday night.  He was then taken into custody by officers from the Foothill Division.

“We’re proud to state that year to date, our experience and highly trained investigators have already arrested 51 arsonists” said Captain Erick Scott of the LAPD.

Following Thompson’s arrest, the number is now 52 arson suspects who have been arrested in the last six months.

The “Standards of Cover” analysis looked at data collected between 2018 and 2020 to help fire administrators forecast needs for hiring and resources. The findings will form the basis for requesting new money for the department, beyond its existing $900 million-plus annual budget.

The report also found that 911 calls are dispatched very quickly, firefighters are able to dress and leave their stations rapidly, and most stations are well-positioned to provide coverage to most of the city.

“Where we are at our weakest, we are killing our people, way overworking our people, at rates that surprised a lot of us,” LAFD Deputy Chief David Perez told the Board of Fire Commissioners during a discussion of the report’s recommendations in Downtown LA Tuesday.

The analysis said firefighters and paramedics at some of the busiest stations get little rest during 24-hour shifts because of constant emergency calls, and showed it takes too long for engines and ambulances to reach the scenes of emergencies in some parts of the City.

“I think we knew most of the things they told us,” Commission president Jimmie Woods-Gray said of the report. “But to be able to ask for money, to get a bond started, or any other kind of fees, or ask City Council for more money, we still need to have the data,” she told the I-Team.

North Hollywood Mar 21, 2023

Fire Engulfs Apartment Building Under Construction in North Hollywood

LAFD Mar 25, 2022

First Female Fire Chief Sworn In to Lead Los Angeles Fire Department

United Firefighters of LA City, the union that represents most of the city’s firefighters, said the report failed to emphasize that the city needs to hire many more new firefighters, and complained the union was largely excluded from the analysis of the department’s performance.

“That report has absolutely no blueprint on what to do, how to do it, and it doesn’t reflect the City of Los Angeles,” UFLAC president Freddy Escobar told the I-Team.

Escobar said the fire department can only function today because it spends an extraordinary amount on overtime, paying members of the existing staff to work additional 24-hour shifts each month. The government salary tracker TransparentCalifornia.com recently reported that city pay records showed more than 80 LAFD employees earned more than $400,000 last year by working numerous overtime shifts.

He said LAFD staffing hasn’t expanded much in decades, even though the city’s population has increased and demands for emergency medical services have exploded, with more than 390,000 calls in 2020 alone.

“Today, our members that we represent at UFLAC are doing more with less, we have [fewer] members than we had 30 years ago,” Escobar said.

The LA City Council’s Public Safety Committee was expected to consider the findings next week.

The report of a trapped horse outside 14525 Olive View Drive, near Olive View-UCLA Medical Center, was called in around 5:05 p.m., said Los Angeles Fire Department spokeswoman Margaret Stewart. 

Firefighters were able to toss a rope around the horse and walk it out of the wedge, Stewart said. 

The horse did not appear hurt, Stewart said.

One of the workers was in serious condition. One worker was lowered from a raised platform to the ground by a stretcher and rope system. Firefighters reached the platform by using a ladder truck.

Firefighters responded to the refinery in the community west of Long Beach just after 6:30 a.m. after a report of leaking butane and hydrogen sulfide, the LAFD said.

Crews shut off the leak. No evacuations were ordered in nearby neighborhoods.

The four hospitalized patients were a 40-year-old man in serious condition and three other men, ages 26, 35, and 43, with moderate injuries.

The circumstances of the leak were under investigation.

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No other deaths or injuries were reported.

At 8:09 p.m. Saturday, federal air traffic controllers asked LAFD to “check a large swath of mountainous territory near Stone Canyon Road and Mulholland Drive,” just east of the San Diego Freeway, after they lost radar contact with the airplane, fire officials said.

The aircraft was reportedly traveling between the Santa Monica and Van Nuys airports, the fire department said.

“There were no 9-1-1 calls reporting any related sights or sounds,” a department statement said. “LAFD helicopters and ground crews searched the large fog shrouded region for nearly an hour before an LAFD helicopter localized a signal from an aircraft Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon in the vicinity (believed within a quarter-mile) of Beverly Glen Terrace and Beverly Glen Boulevard.”

Dense fog and steep terrain prolonged the search, reducing visibility to about 50 feet, witnesses said. Crews finally reported finding the aircraft at 11:20 p.m. Saturday.

More than four dozen LAFD ground personnel systematically searched through thick ground-level fog and rugged terrain north of Mulholland Drive in the Beverly Crest area where the aircraft’s emergency beacon was observed, the department said.

A pair of LAFD helicopters provided command support in the foggy skies.

“The tireless search by LAFD ground crews has located the single engine airplane upon a steep hillside that includes a large water tank (not damaged), above a home (on the 3000 block of Beverly Glen Circle),” said Brian Humphrey, spokesman for LAFD.

“LAFD responders have discovered one person deceased at the scene. No other persons were believed aboard, said Humphrey.

Federal Aviation Administration air traffic controllers at the Van Nuys, Burbank Airport and Los Angeles International airports, as well as the United States Air Force and the pilot’s cellular telephone carrier all assisted in locating the airplane.

The pilot’s name has not been released.