April 22, 2022
Here’s the latest news impacting Los Angeles Firefighters…
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Fire erupts at 5-story apartment building in Panorama City
After one hour and 47 minutes, firefighters finally were able to extinguish an electrical fire inside and outside a five-story building Friday in Panorama City. Authorities say the fire began near an electrical panel in the building, and spread to the outside as well as inside the walls at 8525 N. Tobias Ave. Los Angeles Department of Water and Power employees were summoned to turn off the power in order to allow fire crews to battle the flames that were moving vertically inside the walls. The building has two separate power systems that will allow for the power to be shut off to the affected panel feeding the south side of the building and leave power available on the north, said Los Angeles Fire Department spokeswoman Margaret Stewart. Officials are in the process of making the determination as to which units are no longer safe to be occupied and how many residents need to be re-housed. It took 92 firefighters to put down the flames outside and inside the building, which has approximately 100 residential units, Stewart said.
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Sylmar plane crash on embankment near NB 210 Freeway leaves pilot dead, FAA says
A pilot was killed Wednesday afternoon when a small plane crashed on an embankment alongside the northbound 210 Freeway in Sylmar, the Los Angeles Fire Department said. The fixed-wing aircraft went down just before 12:30 p.m. near Hubbard Street, resulting in a small fuel leak that did not ignite a fire, the LAFD said. A statement issued by the Federal Aviation Administration said the pilot was the only person aboard the twin-engine Cessna 337 Skymaster. The identity of the pilot was not immediately released. "After a thorough search of all void spaces in the aircraft, firefighters did not locate any other victims," the news release said. Northbound traffic on the freeway was backed up at the scene as more than a dozen Urban Search and Rescue firefighters sifted through the wreckage.
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Firefighters Come to the Rescue of an Owlet
These Southern California firefighters are heroes. But this time, it wasn’t for fighting fires. It was for saving this little baby owl. Firefighters from Station 84 in Woodland Hills say a homeowner called after it fell out of the nest of his roof. Since the rescue, the homeowner has been doing whatever he can to ensure the owls are comfortable. Fire Captain Adam VanGerpen spoke with Inside Edition’s Andrea Swindall about the rescue.
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Firefighter taken to hospital after battling blaze at Mount Washington home
A firefighter was taken to the hospital for evaluation after battling a blaze at a two-story home in the hilly neighborhood of Mount Washington. The fire was reported just before 11 a.m. in the 4600 block of East San Andreas Avenue at a large, hillside home. According to LAFD spokeswoman Margaret Stewart, the fire appeared to have started in the crawl space below the first floor and extended up. Firefighters managed to put out most of the flames, but had to work to find the source of smoke that was emanating from parts of the home. A total of 67 firefighters were called out to the scene, which was declared a knockdown within an hour and 17 minutes, the LAFD said. One firefighter was evaluated and taken to the hospital for a medical concern in fair condition, Stewart said, adding that it was a non-traumatic issue.
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Firefighters Knock Down Fire in Koreatown
Firefighters gained control of a residential fire and were able to protect adjacent buildings Thursday in Koreatown. It took 82 firefighters 45 minutes to extinguish the flames, said Los Angeles Fire Department spokeswoman Margaret Stewart. Firefighters responded at 2:52 a.m. to 851 S. Manhattan Place west of South Western Avenue where they found a two-story, vacant Craftsman-style home fully involved with fire and were able to knock down the bulk of the flames and reach the final hot spots, Stewart said.
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LAFD puts out apartment fire in Broadway-Manchester area of Los Angeles
The Los Angeles Fire Department extinguished a fire at an apartment building under construction in Los Angeles Saturday evening. Calls for the fire at came in around 5:18 p.m. Saturday to the building at 231 E. 87th Place in the Broadway-Manchester neighborhood. According to LAFD, the building is a split duplex, with two stories in the front and one in the rear. The building is under construction, and according to officials, the framing and wrap involved in the construction played a part in the firefight. Nealry 90 LAFD personnel battled the blaze as smoke rose into the Los Angeles sky. Crews were able to put out the fire in less than an hour.
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Fire Damages Apartment Unit in Crenshaw Community of Los Angeles
Fire Saturday damaged a unit at a two-story apartment structure over a commercial building in the Crenshaw community of Los Angeles, authorities said. Firefighters dispatched at 12:02 p.m. to 4433 S. Crenshaw Blvd. had the blaze out within 19 minutes of their arrival, the Los Angeles Fire Department reported. The fire was confined to an upstairs unit to the rear of the two-story apartment structure over a commercial building.
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LAFD, Angeles National Forest responders knock down brusher in Tujunga
Los Angeles Fire Department ground and air units with an assist from Angeles National Forest responders contained a small brush fire Sunday that burned more than an acre of grass near the Tujunga Little League Field. The fire ignited near 12301 N. Mount Gleason Ave. in Tujunga around 3:15 p.m., according to Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Brian Humphrey. The department dispatched 73 firefighters to the scene and extinguished the flames in about half an hour, Humphrey said.
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LAFD Puts Out Fire Burning Two Homes in Venice
Firefighters extinguished a house fire in Venice Sunday evening that spread to a nearby second house. The blaze at 823 E. Superba Ave. was reported at 6:10 p.m., according to Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Nicholas Prange. When firefighters arrived at the scene, they found a one-story home on fire with flames spreading to a three-story residence next door, at 825 E. Superba, Prange said. The department dispatched 42 firefighters to the scene and they knocked down the flames in both homes in 36 minutes, he said.
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Photo courtesy of OnScene.TV |
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No Injuries from Fire in a Sylmar Home
No injuries were reported Monday morning from a well-involved Sylmar house fire. The fire was reported at 3:19 a.m. at 13960 W. Almetz St., according to the Los Angeles Fire Department’s Brian Humphrey. First arriving firefighters reported the single-story house was well involved with flames that also threatened a nearby structure, Humphrey said. The 36 firefighters were able to contain the damage to the house of origin and put out flames in 47 minutes, he said. “All occupants are reported to have safely evacuated the structure,” Humphrey said. The home was severely damaged and the cause of the fire was under investigation, he said.
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Fire Erupts at Commercial Building in North Hollywood
Firefighters battled a fire near multiple exposed buildings Thursday in North Hollywood. Fire crews responded at 4:23 a.m. to 11005 W. Hesby St., a vacant one-story commercial building with heavy fire, said Los Angeles Fire Department spokeswoman Margaret Stewart.
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Firefighters Knock Down Blaze in Koreatown
Firefighters contained a fire to the first floor of a two-story residence today in Koreatown. Fire crews were called at 1:52 a.m. to 150 N. Berendo St. where there was heavy smoke showing on the first floor, said Los Angeles Fire Department spokeswoman Margaret Stewart. Firefighters were able to extinguish the flames in 19 minutes with 26 firefighters.
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Firefighters Put Out Apartment Fire in Silver Lake
It took 11 minutes for 22 firefighters to put out a fire in one unit of a Silver Lake apartment building Saturday evening. The fire was reported at 9:46 p.m. at 1085 N. Myra Ave., according to the Los Angeles Fire Department’s Brian Humphrey. The apartment building is a two-story garden-style structure with eight units and the fire was in a ground-floor unit, Humphrey said.
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Car plunges 300 feet off cliff in Griffith Park, prompting rescue operation for 68-year-old driver
A car plunged about 300 feet over the side of a cliff in Griffith Park on Wednesday morning, prompting firefighters to launch a rescue operation for a 68-year-old driver, officials said. The crash was reported by a 911 caller shortly before 7 a.m. in the 2800 block of West Observatory Drive, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. Park rangers made their way down to the car and found the female driver alert and talking. The extent of her possible injuries was not immediately known.
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Tree trimmer dies after being found hanging upside down in Sherman Oaks
A man trimming trees in Sherman Oaks died Saturday afternoon after he was found suspended upside down about 50 feet above the ground. The Los Angeles Fire Department responded to the 3300 block of North Coldwater Canyon Avenue in Sherman Oaks around 12:10 p.m. after receiving reports of an unconscious tree trimmer who was hanging upside down high in the air. Firefighters and search and rescue crews arrived on scene and used a truck-mounted ladder and a rope and harness system to safely remove the man. After they were safely able to bring the man back to the ground, it was discovered that he was “beyond medical help” and was declared dead at the scene.
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Fire crews rescue 5-year-old who fell down Beverly Crest hillside
Los Angeles firefighters rescued a 5-year-old boy who fell down a steep hillside in Beverly Crest Friday afternoon. At 3:55 p.m., fire crews responded to the 1600 block of N. Gilcrest Drive in the Beverly Crest neighborhood near the Santa Monica Mountains. The young boy fell down the hillside and was unable to get back up, LAFD officials said. Ground crews hiked down the hillside to search for the boy who was rescued using a rope system that lowered him down to the property below. The boy was then loaded into an ambulance and transported to the hospital along with his mother.
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LA woman killed after vehicle crashes into Watts home, driver faces criminal charges, LAPD says
The coroner has released the name of a woman killed Saturday when the vehicle in which she was a passenger slammed into a house in Watts, severely injuring the driver and narrowly missing the gas meter. Jaycie Martinez was a 38-year-old resident of Los Angeles. Paramedics were called at 4:27 a.m. to 9927 S. Wilmington Ave., where Martinez was pronounced dead, said Los Angeles Fire Department spokeswoman Margaret Stewart. Investigators suspect the man driving the Mercedes-Benz was under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs, said Sgt. P. Ybarra of the Los Angeles Police Department's South Traffic Division.
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Pedestrian dies after being struck by Metro train near downtown L.A.
A pedestrian was fatally struck by a Metro A Line train Thursday morning near downtown, causing major delays in commuter service, authorities said. The unidentified pedestrian was hit by the train about 7:40 a.m. near East 24th Street and Long Beach Avenue in the Central-Alameda neighborhood, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.
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Five Injured in Los Feliz Crash During Pursuit
Five people were hurt early Monday in a three-vehicle crash apparently related to a police pursuit. The crash was reported at 1:16 a.m. at 1868 N. Western Ave., according to the Los Angeles Fire Department’s Brian Humphrey. “Suspect vehicle collided with two other vehicles at or near an intersection, including a pickup truck being driven by a public utility worker.” Humphrey said. Three people were seriously injured and two had minor-to-moderate injuries, he said. None were law enforcement officers.
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Garcetti calls for 780 police, 260 firefighters and $1.2 billion to fight homelessness
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti is proposing an $11.8 billion budget for the upcoming fiscal year that includes $10.5 million for a climate equity program, an 8.5% increase for LAPD’s operations, and funding to hire more firefighters and sanitation workers. He told reporters at a City Hall press conference, “We’ve made an incredibly strong economic recovery. This is good news. Better than good. It’s great news. Our finances are in a very different place than just two years ago when we faced down the toughest economic moment of our lives.” But Los Angeles City Controller Ron Galperin gave a more sobering forecast, saying that “rising employment costs, coupled with sky-high inflation, could very well put the city in a revenue crunch.” He counseled that “L.A. officials need to focus on maintaining core services that residents depend on, and support programs with proven records of success.”
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California Fire Map & Tracker
An interactive map of wildfires burning across the Bay Area and California.
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Remembering Our Fallen Brothers & Sisters |
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Assistant Chief
Edward A. Burns
Deceased: 4/17/2022
Appointed: 3/10/1962
Assignment: Chief Engineer’s Office
Retired: 3/25/1982
Assistant Chief
Scott A. Lenz
Deceased: 4/10/2022
Appointed: 4/20/1963
Assignment: Planning Sect C
Retired: 6/23/1990
Captain II
Robert V. Fickett
Deceased: 4/4/2022
Appointed: 4/20/1963
Assignment: FS 70
Retired: 2/11/1999
Assistant Chief
Jake S. Dukes
Deceased: 4/1/2022
Appointed: 6/16/1953
Assignment: Div. 3
Retired: 10/22/1978
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Captain
James H. Beals
Deceased: 3/26/2022
Appointed: 4/30/1960
Assignment: Headquarters
Retired: 1/22/1978
Captain
Robert R. Knipscheer
Deceased: 3/24/2022
Appointed: 6/21/1954
Assignment: FS 24
Retired: 6/29/1982
Engineer
John R. Cooper
Deceased: 3/23/2022
Appointed: 4/30/1966
Assignment: FS 89
Retired: 2/27/1985
Apparatus Operator
Charles A. Raymer
Deceased: 3/15/2022
Appointed: 5/12/1962
Assignment: FS 95-A
Retired: 6/29/1982
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Engineer
Donald A. Kusar Jr
Deceased: 3/3/2022
Appointed: 4/1/1973
Assignment: FS 40
Retired: 9/20/2008
Engineer
Robert W. Dockery
Deceased: 2/26/2022
Appointed: 6/17/1952
Assignment: FS 104
Retired: 7/1/1977
Firefighter III
Dexter G. McDaniel
Deceased: 2/25/2022
Appointed: 12/21/1989
Assignment: FS 79
Retired: 3/31/2020
Captain II
Robert A. Witherspoon
Deceased: 2/21/2022
Appointed: 2/20/1971
Assignment: FS 80
Retired: 5/1/2002
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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.
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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.
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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.
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