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North Hills fire: Body found inside vacant fire-ravaged building

A body has been found inside a commercial building that caught fire earlier this week in North Hills. A two-story structure erupted in flames just before 6 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 13 in the 15200 block of Parthenia St., just two blocks east of Sepulveda Boulevard. While that structure was vacant, the fire threatened the adjacent apartment complex. By Wednesday afternoon, 41 units had been yellow-tagged. A woman thought to be in her 40s was taken to a hospital in fair condition for possible smoke inhalation. Two women from the apartment building were treated at the scene for smoke inhalation and a third woman declined to go to the hospital for treatment, according to the LAFD. The blaze displaced 27 people, six adults and 21 children, from the apartment building, due primarily to broken glass and smoke damage. On Wednesday morning, dogs trained to search for human remains were brought in to determine if anyone may have died in the building. Neighbors said homeless people were known to take up residence in the building, which used to be a church. By Thursday afternoon, the fire department confirmed the fire was fatal after having found a body inside.

Fox11/LAFD

53-year-old man and pet dog killed in East Los Angeles house fire

A 53-year-old man and his pet dog were killed in a house fire in East Los Angeles on Sunday afternoon. The blaze was reported just after 3 p. m. at a one-story home in the 1300 block of Kenmore Avenue, according to a news release from the Los Angeles Fire Department. Upon arrival, firefighters saw flames showing from one room of the home. "Following initial reports of possible persons trapped, firefighters prioritized a search of the structure," the release said. "The adult male victim and a dog were quickly located inside the home, but firefighters on scene sadly determined both beyond medical intervention." Crews extinguished the fire in 22 minutes.

CBS/LAFD

Woman hospitalized after fire tears through Winnetka office building

A crew of 120 firefighters with the Los Angeles Fire Department knocked down a major emergency fire that broke out in the San Fernando Valley early Tuesday morning. LAFD crews responded to the fire that broke out at a two-story commercial building in the 20000 block of W. Sherman Way, between Oso and Winnetka avenues, in the Winnetka area. The fire was declared a major emergency at 5:10 a.m. Just after 5:50 a.m., LAFD officials said firefighters made good progress against the fire. "The incident is split into defensive in one portion of the building due to a partial collapse and fire on both floors. It is an offensive operation toward the rear where crews are also working to prevent any further extension through the office building." A woman was taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation and no firefighter injuries were reported. Residents in an apartment building next door were evacuated during the firefight. The fire was declared a knockdown just after 7:05 a.m.

Fox11/LAFD

January is Firefighter Cancer Awareness Month

Westlake apartment fire sends woman to hospital, pet critical

An overnight apartment fire in Los Angeles’ Westlake area sent a woman to the hospital and left a pet in critical condition, according to video obtained by KTLA. Firefighters were called to the scene around 3 a.m. Monday at an apartment complex in the 2200 block of West Court Street, in the Historic Filipinotown neighborhood. Footage from OnScene Media shows heavy smoke pouring from an upstairs unit as residents stood outside the building, some clutching pets after evacuating. A woman was seen being treated in a wheelchair before being transported to a hospital.

KTLA5

Dog Rescued from Hollywood Hills Apartment Fire

It took 33 firefighters 14 minutes to extinguish a fire that broke out in a Hollywood Dell apartment building on Wednesday afternoon, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. The fire was reported at around noon at an apartment building at 2025 N. Argyle Ave., just north of Franklin Avenue. The fire was contained to a single unit on the second floor. A small pet dog was rescued from the unit and was unharmed.

Hollywood Patch

LAFD Extinguishes Westchester Office Building Blaze in Under 20 Minutes, Averts Larger Crisis

On the evening of January 14th, a fire broke out in a large four-story office building at 8929 S Sepulveda Boulevard in Westchester. The Los Angeles Fire Department responded swiftly to the scene after the incident was reported. LAFD ALERT - Structure Fire 01/14/2026 INC#1679 confirmed that firefighters engaged in an offensive mode to tackle the blaze on the first floor of the building. Commanded under Fire Station 5 and Battalion 4, the response included a significant deployment of emergency units, including Battalion Chiefs, engine companies, and task forces equipped to manage high-rise incidents. With the clock running against them and the threat of the fire spreading, the teams worked under pressure to bring the situation under control. According to information obtained by LAFD's follow-up report, 36 firefighters located and extinguished the fire in 19 minutes, a testament to their skill and coordination.

Hoodline

LAFD Extinguishes House Fire in 15 Minutes

A 60-year-old man was rescued from a fire at a one-story house in South Los Angeles by Los Angeles Fire Department personnel, the department said Friday. Firefighters responded at 10:52 p.m. Thursday to 963 W. 46th St., near Vermont Avenue, where they knocked down the flames in 15 minutes, said LAFD spokeswoman Lyndsey Lantz. The victim was taken to a hospital by LAFD paramedics in an unknown condition.

MyNewsLA

Fire Damages Van Nuys Commercial Building

Fire Sunday damaged a single-story commercial building in Van Nuys, authorities said. Firefighters dispatched at 4:57 a.m. to 6160 N. Sepulveda Blvd. had the fire out within 40 minutes of their arrival, the Los Angeles Fire Department reported.

MyNewsLA

LA Firefighters Extinguish Blaze at Harbor Gateway Auto Shop in Swift 27-Minute Operation

Los Angeles firefighters quickly subdued a blaze at an auto body shop in Harbor Gateway last night, with no injuries reported, the Los Angeles Fire Department announced. Just before 10:30 PM, crews arrived at 19606 S Normandie Av to find heavy smoke billowing from the single-story commercial building. The LAFD alert specified that firefighters launched an aggressive offense, coordinating efforts for forcible entry and roof operations couple with an interior attack which achieved knockdown in a brisk 27 minutes by the means of 43 firefighting personnel that responded to the incident, the building was blanketed in smoke and amidst the chaos fighters battled the inferno, no one was hurt during the incident, it was noted in the department's communication.

Hoodline

Firefighters Knock Down Flames at Recycling Yard in Atwater Village

Responding to an intense fire at a large recycling yard in Atwater Village, south of the Ventura (134) Freeway, Los Angeles Fire Department fire crews contained and controlled the blaze in just over an hour Saturday. Firefighters were called at 4:16 a.m. to 4560 W. Doran St., west of West San Fernando Road. Fire crews used master streams on the flames in an effort to protect the surrounding structures, said LAFD spokeswoman Lyndsey Lantz. In order to access and cool hot spots, LAFD crews and employees at the recycling yard are coordinating moving recycling material, using excavators on site, Lantz added. LAFD reported that 30 firefighters were at the scene and the fire was declared a knockdown at 5:27 a.m.

MyNewsLA

Outside Fire Extends into Row of Commercial Units in Hancock Park; No Injuries

Firefighters Sunday knocked down an outside fire that had extended into the interior of a row of one-story commercial units in the Hancock Park community of Los Angeles, authorities said. They were dispatched at 6:25 a.m. to 612 S. La Brea Ave. and had the fire out within 27 minutes of their arrival, the Los Angeles Fire Department reported.

MyNewsLA

Fire Spreads to Attic in Beverlywood

A fire at two-story house in Beverlywood was knocked down in 34 minutes by 54 Los Angeles Fire Department firefighters Monday evening. Los Angeles Fire Department firefighters were called to 1561 S. Reeves St., two blocks south of Pico Boulevard and one block west of Beverly Drive, at 10:18 p.m. Monday where they found the flames on the second floor, which extended into the attic, said LAFD spokeswoman Jennifer Middleton. Firefighters worked extensively to protect the occupants’ belongings, Middleton added.

MyNewsLA

LAFD Knocks Down House Fire in 35 Minutes

Firefighters knocked down a fire in a Highland Park in 35 minutes Sunday evening. Three dozen firefighters responded to reports of moderate smoke emerging from a one-story house at 5004 East Lincoln Ave. around 8:30 p.m. and extinguished the blaze with no reported injuries, according to the Los Angeles City Fire Department.

MyNewsLA

Firefighters Quell Lumber Fire at Three-Story Structure in South LA

Firefighters knocked down a small lumber fire Sunday inside a three-story structure in South Los Angeles. Firefighters dispatched at 8:34 a.m. Sunday to 4004 S. Broadway Place, near Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and the Harbor (110) Freeway, had the fire out within 19 minutes of their arrival, the Los Angeles Fire Department reported. “Firefighters were required to force access into the first floor, where they discovered a small amount of lumber on fire,” the LAFD’s Lyndsey Lantz said.

MyNewsLA

Firefighters Battle Valley Glen Apartment Fire

It took 41 firefighters 12 minutes Saturday to find and put out flames that were showing from a second-floor unit of a two-story apartment building in the Valley Glen area of Los Angeles. The fire was reported at 6:41 p.m. Saturday in a U-shaped apartment building at 12111 W. Califa St., near Laurel Canyon Boulevard, said Los Angeles Fire Department spokeswoman Margaret Stewart. The flames were out at 6:53 p.m., Stewart said.

MyNewsLA

1 killed, 1 hospitalized in Woodland Hills crash into tree

One man was killed and another is hospitalized Tuesday following a crash in Woodland Hills where police say the driver was under the influence. Los Angeles Police Department officers responded at to the 5900 block of Valley Circle Boulevard and El Canon Avenue at 1:25 a.m. Tuesday where they found the victims inside the vehicle, which had slammed into a tree, an LAPD spokesman told City News Service. Los Angeles Fire Department personnel were called to the scene, where they freed the victims from the wreckage, police said. Paramedics pronounced a passenger in the vehicle dead at the scene.

LA Daily News

U-Haul truck plows into L.A. demonstrators marching in support of Iranian protests

The driver of a U-Haul box truck that plowed into a crowd estimated at more than 1,000 people, who were marching in support of Iranian protests in Westwood Sunday, has been detained, KTLA confirmed. In a news release, the Los Angeles Fire Department stated that medical personnel received reports of an automobile driving into the crowd at 1350 S. Midvale Avenue, near Veteran Avenue in the area of the Federal Building at around 3:34 p.m. Sunday. Two people were evaluated at the scene and declined to be taken to the hospital, while paramedics attempted to locate a possible third victim in the general area. Fire officials said crews were “delayed making patient contact due to the size of the crowd.” 

KTLA5

At least 1 killed in crash involving big rig, Tesla on 210 Freeway in Sylmar

At least one person was killed Sunday morning in a crash involving a semitruck and a Tesla on the 210 Freeway in Sylmar, authorities said. The crash occurred at 5:10 a.m. Sunday on the eastbound freeway at the Polk Street off-ramp, according to the California Highway Patrol. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene. Firefighters and paramedics assisted CHP with extracting the body from the wreckage, the Los Angeles Fire Department said.

ABC7

Man struck and killed by train in South Los Angeles

A man was struck and killed by a train in South Los Angeles early Friday, prompting an active death investigation by police. The incident was reported around 5:57 a.m. near 4070 S. Long Beach Avenue in the Central-Alameda area, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. Officers arrived to find a 40-year-old man who had been hit by a train and was pronounced dead at the scene.

KTLA5

Man, 25, dead after being ejected from vehicle in L.A. freeway crash; 5 others hospitalized

A 25-year-old man died in a crash that also left five others injured in Griffith Park overnight, authorities confirmed. According to a California Highway Patrol spokesperson, the collision occurred on the northbound span of the 5 Freeway at the Los Feliz Boulevard off-ramp just before 3:20 a.m. Sunday. Not many details surrounding the crash itself were immediately available; however, the spokesperson was able to verify that multiple cars were involved and one person was pronounced dead at the scene.

KTLA5

Fiery two-car crash in South Los Angeles leaves 1 dead, another critical

One person was killed and another critically injured early Sunday after a two-car crash sparked a vehicle fire in the Vermont-Slauson area of South Los Angeles, authorities said. The collision was reported around 5:05 a.m. near the 1300 block of West Slauson Avenue, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. Firefighters arrived to find one of the vehicles “well involved” in flames, the department said in a release.

KTLA5

Man struck, killed by semi-truck in parking lot of L.A. grocery store

Police and firefighters are on the scene of a deadly collision between a semi-truck hauling a trailer and a pedestrian in Van Nuys. Officials with the Los Angeles Police Department responded to the 6700 block of North Van Nuys Boulevard near Vanowen Street just before 2 p.m. on reports of the fatal incident. Details are extremely limited and the exact circumstances of the accident are unknown, but images captured by Sky5 show the semi-truck hauling a trailer with a Jons Fresh Marketplace across the side in the parking lot of the grocery store.

KTLA5

Stolen vehicle pursuit in L.A. ends in violent rollover crash; 3 hospitalized

Three suspects in an alleged stolen pickup truck that led police in a dangerous high-speed pursuit were hospitalized after a violent rollover crash in Pacoima Thursday night. Details are limited and it’s unclear exactly when and where officers with the Los Angeles Police Department initiated the pursuit, but at some point during the incident, the driver of the truck took the chase onto the 5 Freeway. Sky5 was over the scene in the aftermath of the rollover crash at the bottom of the Van Nuys Boulevard freeway offramp. 

KTLA5

Hiker Experiencing Medical Issue Rescued from Hollywood Hills

First responders rescued a 39-year-old hiker who was experiencing a medical issue Sunday in the Hollywood Hills West area, authorities said. Firefighters and paramedics were dispatched at 10:49 a.m. Sunday to Runyon Canyon Road, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. The hiker was airlifted from that location to a safe helispot, where she was assessed for a ground transport to a hospital, according to Lyndsey Lantz of the Los Angeles Fire Department.

MyNewsLA

Hiker Rescued on Surfview Drive

On Monday, January 12, the Los Angeles Fire Department reported that a hiker had to be rescued in Pacific Palisades. The incident was reported at 7:14 p.m. at 458 N. Surfview Dr. Air and ground resources coordinated to locate an approximately 20F who became lost during a hike. The uninjured hiker is being transferred to a nearby helispot by LAFD air assets and driven to her vehicle located at the trailhead. There were no injuries reported or any additional details to report.

Canyon News

Man hit by Metro train in East Hollywood

A man is in critical condition after he was hit by a Metro train in East Hollywood Wednesday morning. That pedestrian was hit a few minutes after 11 a.m. on the Red Line near 1015 N. Vermont Ave., the Los Angeles Fire Department said in an alert. That address corresponds to the Vermont/Santa Monica Station. The person, whom the LAFD said is a man who’s about 40 years old, was conscious and moving when firefighters arrived, though he was in an area the LAFD could not immediately access. By about 11:35, fire officials were able to get the man out. He’s being transported to a local hospital in critical condition.

KTLA5

California Wildfires Map

Track wildfire origins, perimeters and air pollution with the L.A. Times California wildfires map.

LA Times

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline

We can all help prevent suicide. The 988 Suicide & Crisis 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

Events

UFLAC was proud to participate in the annual MLK Parade in South LA, spending time with the community and future Los Angeles Fire Department Firefighters!

Fireman

Dale E. Derossett

Deceased: 1/17/2026

Appointed: 6/1/1954

Assignment: FS 103

Retired: 6/29/1980

Battalion Chief

John F. Kirkorn

Deceased: 1/16/2026

Appointed: 7/24/1965

Assignment: Battalion 4, FS 5

Retired: 7/5/1998

Engineer

Lloyd R. Cronk

Deceased: 1/13/2026

Appointed: 12/17/1951

Assignment: FS 93

Retired: 3/25/1979

Fireboat Mate

Allan Sundin

Deceased: 1/3/2026

Appointed: 4/1/1957

Assignment: FS 111, Boat 1

Retired: 7/26/1987

Fire Inspector I

Fernando J. Chavira

Deceased: 12/24/2025

Appointed: 11/24/1962

Assignment: Public Safety Section

Retired: 7/6/1986

Apparatus Operator

Robert J. Clark

Deceased: 12/18/2025

Appointed: 11/24/1962

Assignment: FS 96

Retired: 4/25/1985

Apparatus Operator

Germain D. Messerschmidt

Deceased: 12/15/2025

Appointed: 2/9/1963

Assignment: FS 96

Retired: 8/19/1996

Firefighter III

Charles W. Waters

Deceased: 12/8/2025

Appointed: 6/28/1969

Assignment: FS 110, Boat 5

Retired: 6/27/1996

Engineer

Richard L. Ritchie

Deceased: 12/8/2025

Appointed: 1/16/1965

Assignment: FS 20

Retired: 10/17/1983

Engineer

Lincoln A. Widder Jr.

Deceased: 12/7/2025

Appointed: 4/30/1960

Assignment: FS 97

Retired: 2/20/1993

Battalion Chief

Roger G. Gillis

Deceased: 12/5/2025

Appointed: 4/13/1968

Assignment: Battalion 5

Retired: 1/13/2002

Engineer

Paul L. Pfaff

Deceased: 11/24/2025

Appointed: 12/19/1955

Assignment: FS 49

Retired: 6/7/1982