May 20, 2022
Here’s the latest news impacting Los Angeles Firefighters…
|
|
UFLAC Presents the 2021 LAFD Year In Review
UFLAC is proud to present the 2021 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 publication tells the story of our dedicated First Responders who continued to protect lives and property in Los Angeles while risking their own safety during another extraordinary year. In 2021, our Firefighters and Paramedics responded to more than 475,000 emergency calls for service throughout Los Angeles - an average of 1,300 calls per day. As an all-risk fire and rescue agency serving more than four million people, the LAFD is one of the busiest and most understaffed big city fire departments in the entire country. 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.
|
|
Brush fire breaks out near Griffith Observatory, person of interest in custody
Crews have contained a brush fire that was previously classified as a "major emergency" burning near the iconic Griffith Observatory Tuesday. According to the LAFD, the fire burned about 6 acres and was reported in the area of 2675 N. Nottingham Avenue, south of the observatory near the Boy Scout Trail. A total of 92 firefighters responded to the scene and a person of interest was taken into police custody. Officials said all active flames have been eliminated and forward progress has been stopped after one hour and twelve minutes.
|
|
Over 100 firefighters battle major emergency brush fire in Porter Ranch
Over 100 firefighters battled a major emergency brush fire in the Porter Ranch area on Sunday. The fire broke out shortly before 3:30 p.m. in the 11200 block of Porter Ranch Drive. As many as seven acres of grass were scorched south of the 118 Freeway, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. The blaze was 75% contained as of Sunday evening. About 140 LAFD firefighters responded to the scene for a ground and aerial assault on the fire. Crews managed to stop the fire's forward progress at about 4:30 p.m., LAFD says. Officials are calling the blaze the Porter Fire. The flames were fanned by 10-15 mph winds from the south, according to LAFD.
|
|
Smoke billows from brush fire burning in Hansen Dam
A brush fire erupted in the Hansen Dam area, sending smoke shooting high into the sky and prompting a response from firefighters Monday afternoon. Los Angeles firefighters with the city and county responded around 4 p.m. to fight the blaze that broke out near 11798 W. Foothill Blvd. in the Hansen Dam area. Although it appeared most of the flames had been extinguished, large plumes of smoke billowed over the area. Helicopters were conducting water drops over the blaze. Authorities said forward progress of the fire was stopped at 7 acres after it burned in medium to heavy brush. Spot fires also popped up along a dirt road.
|
|
Photo courtesy of the LAFD |
|
LAFD Ceremony Salutes 70 Promoted Sworn and Civilian Members
The Los Angeles Fire Department is proud to honor the achievements of seventy LAFD uniformed and civilian members who have successfully completed the demanding process of promoting in rank or status within the Department. Expressing her pride in their accomplishments, City of Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin M. Crowley oversaw a formal promotion ceremony at the LAFD Frank Hotchkin Memorial Training Center in Elysian Park on Thursday, May 5, 2022.
|
|
Greater alarm fire burns Dollar Tree store in North Hollywood
A greater alarm fire burned at a Dollar Tree store in North Hollywood for 46 minutes Thursday night before being extinguished by 83 firefighters. The cause of the fire is under active investigation, according to Brian Humphrey of the Los Angeles Fire Department. Firefighters were called to the store at 6000 Lankersheim Boulevard, near Oxnard Street, at 8:58 p.m., Humphrey said. A cellphone video shared by a witness with Fox11 showed one of the store’s aisles catching fire. The fire briefly threatened an adjoining restaurant, Humphrey said.
|
|
Rubbish Fire Spreads to Church, Threatens Motel in Pacoima
Firefighters knocked down a greater alarm fire at a one-story, unoccupied church in Pacoima Sunday that briefly threatened a neighboring motel. The blaze began as a large outside rubbish fire, which extended into the structure, authorities said. The Los Angeles Fire Department sent 71 firefighters to 10219 N. San Fernando Road at 12:20 p.m. Sunday, and the fire was knocked down within 63 minutes of their arrival, according to the LAFD’s Brian Humphrey.
|
|
Pair of brush fires break out in Granada Hills, Porter Ranch
Firefighters were dispatched to two separate brush fires that erupted in Granda Hills and Porter Ranch Friday evening. After investigation, it was determined that the fires were connected after witnesses described multiple suspects lighting fireworks out of a van in the area. Both blazes were reported just before 9 p.m., one adjacent to the eastbound 118 Freeway on W. San Fernando Mission Boulevard in Porter Ranch, and the other just down the road near Hayvenhurst Avenue and the eastbound 118 Freeway in Granada Hills. In Porter Ranch, LAFD crews were able to contain the blaze to the one-quarter acre of brush burning after just an hour, with 74 LAFD firefighters on scene. 73 LAFD ground units were also dispatched to the vegetation burning in Granada Hills, which had engulfed just about an acre before they were able to extinguish the flames.
|
|
Forward progress stopped on 10-acre San Pedro brush fire
Los Angeles firefighters got control of a fast-growing brush fire that broke out Thursday night in San Pedro in a park near homes, according to authorities. Ground and air teams were called to a 1-acre blaze that started amid medium grass and brush in rugged terrain at Peck Park, 560 North Western Ave., according to a 6:15 p.m. alert by the Los Angeles Fire Department. The park abuts homes and a shopping center. Helicopter footage from KTLA-TV Channel 5 showed flames and billowing smoke close to homes. None appeared to be on fire. Authorities called a greater alarm and more crews arrived to help battle the fire, officials said. In all, 81 firefighters were sent to the scene.
|
|
Lopez Canyon Fire contained within an hour
A brush fire broke out in Lopez Canyon Saturday afternoon and was under control within an hour, officials said. The four-acre blaze burned light grass and medium brush in the 12000 block of North Lopez Canyon Road, the Los Angeles Fire Department said in an alert. The total acreage was later updated to 8.29 acres. Joining the LAFD were the Los Angeles County Fire Department and the Angeles National Forest in battling the blaze, which took 69 firefighters 55 minutes to get under control.
|
|
Firefighters battle large fire ripping through apartment building in Koreatown
Firefighters were battling a large fire that erupted inside an apartment building in Koreatown Monday morning. The fire was reported just before 5 a.m. at the building on the 3800 block of 8th Street, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. AIR7 HD was over the scene where several fire units were trying to douse the flames. It's unclear what caused the fire or if anybody was injured. Fire crews were able to stop the flames from spreading. They said the apartment building had previously burned and was vacant.
|
|
Firefighters Battle Flames at Apartment in Baldwin Hills
It took 66 firefighters 29 minutes to extinguish a fire at an apartment building in Baldwin Hills Wednesday morning. Firefighters prevented the fire at 5020 W. Obama Blvd. from spreading into the attic of the apartments. Firefighters battled the blaze at a garden-style apartment building and it was contained to the unit of origin. Two additional units sustained fire damage.
|
|
Greater-alarm fire hits Woodland Hills commercial building
A greater-alarm fire burned a commercial building in Woodland Hills early Tuesday morning. The Los Angeles Fire Department sent 74 firefighters to 6421 Independence Ave., south of Victory Boulevard and west of De Soto Avenue. The blaze was extinguished in 69 minutes, said LAFD spokesman Nicholas Prange.
|
|
LAFD fights small brush fire in Brentwood
A quarter-acre brush fire in Brentwood has Los Angeles Fire Department personnel putting out flare-ups Thursday afternoon. The fire broke out at about 3:45 p.m. in the 2400 block of North Sepulveda Boulevard, and the LAFD said 30 firefighters were able to knock down the flames in 21 minutes. However, about a half hour after the knockdown call, the LAFD tweeted that helicopters were returning to the scene to assist with flare-ups.
|
|
60 Freeway reopens in Boyle Heights after brush fire erupts on embankment, burns palm trees
A brush fire erupted Wednesday afternoon on an embankment alongside the 60 Freeway in Boyle Heights, prompting the closure of all westbound lanes. The single-acre fire was reported about 12:15 p.m. near the Seventh Street offramp, prompting a response from 70 firefighters, the Los Angeles Fire Department said. The blaze, which involved multiple palm trees, was extinguished in just under two hours, the Fire Department said. Firefighters were conducting mop-up operations to ensure that no hotspots flared up.
|
|
Attic fire damages historic 1912 Boyle Heights home
Firefighters with the Los Angeles Fire Department extinguished an attic fire at a single-story 110-year-old Craftsman-style home in Boyle Heights that was built in the year 1912. A total of 36 firefighters were sent at 10:01 a.m. Saturday to 948 S. Bernal Ave. had the blaze out within 25 minutes of their arrival, said Nicholas Prange of the LAFD. "Firefighters entered the structure to gather belongings and cover them, in anticipation of the water to be deployed above in the attic space," Prange said. "Crews ascended ladders to the roof and coordinated with companies below for timely rooftop ventilation."
|
|
Vacant building fire threatens nearby structures in Koreatown before knock down
Dozens of firefighters rushed to the scene of a structure fire at a vacant one-story building in Los Angeles Thursday evening. The flames were reportedly threatening nearby structures in the area on W. 6th Street. Crews were engaged in a defensive fire attack as they worked to contain the flames to just the one building. It took 30 firefighters 13 minutes to extinguish the flames.
|
|
Brush fire erupts near I-5 Freeway in Sylmar
The fire began right next to the I-5 Freeway in Sylmar at about 5:50 p.m. According to the Los Angeles Fire Department, the fire on 12300 North Laurel Canyon Boulevard was at about one acre at 6:05 p.m. There is also a light wind but no structures are threatened. Crews could be seen battling the fire with helicopters dropping water from above. The forward progress was stopped at about 6:15 p.m.
|
|
Firefighters Quickly Extinguish Sherman Oaks Brush Fire
Firefighters Friday quickly extinguished a blaze in some brush and trees in a vacant lot in the Sherman Oaks area, and no one was hurt. The fire was reported about 12:10 p.m. in the 12900 block of West Magnolia Boulevard, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. Firefighters extinguished the flames in 22 minutes and prevented them from spreading to a nearby two-story house, the LAFD reported.
|
|
LAFD uses ropes, helicopter to rescue driver who went over Mulholland Drive cliff
Los Angeles firefighters used ropes and a helicopter hoist to rescue a driver whose car went down a Hollywood Hills cliff Wednesday night before airlifting the victim to the hospital. Dispatchers received a 9-1-1 call at 6:57 p.m. about the vehicle over the side at 7751 Mulholland Drive, said Los Angeles Fire Department spokeswoman Margaret Stewart. The area across the freeway and to the southwest of Universal City is known as the Universal City Overlook. Firefighters set up a two-line rope system to make their way down the cliff — with the needed equipment — and extricate the victim from the crashed vehicle, Stewart said. An LA Fire Department helicopter helped hoist the patient back up and then airlifted them to the hospital, Stewart said.
|
|
Firefighters Rescue Dog After Car Collision Causes Brush Fire
A collision near the state Route 118, Ronald Reagan Freeway, caused two cars to catch fire Friday afternoon, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. One 45 year-old man was sent to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries and another injured person declined treatment or ambulance transportation, according to LAFD. Firefighters stopped forward progress on the car fires 15 minutes. A resultant spot fire down the canyon burned for over two hours and was extinguished just before 5 p.m., according to LAFD. Firefighters rescued a dog that had escaped from one of the cars and returned it to the owners' family while he is in the hospital, according to LAFD. The dog was uninjured.
|
|
3 people killed in fiery crash on 118 Freeway in Granada Hills
Three people were killed Sunday when their vehicle burst into flames following a collision on the Ronald Reagan (118) Freeway in Granada Hills. The two-vehicle crash was reported at 11:59 p.m. Saturday on the eastbound Ronald Reagan Freeway just west of the San Diego (405) Freeway, said the Los Angeles Fire Department's Brian Humphrey. All three victims were pronounced dead at the scene, Humphrey said. A person from the other vehicle was taken by paramedics to a hospital for treatment, he said.
|
|
2 dead after car smashes into back of big rig in Tujunga
Two people are dead after a car slammed into the back of a big rig truck on the 210 Freeway in Tujunga, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department and California Highway Patrol. The crash was reported at about 4:30 p.m. on the westbound freeway near La Tuna Canyon Road, said Officer Figueroa of the CHP. Aerial footage from Sky5 showed a dark-colored car crushed after it apparently struck the rear of the truck’s trailer. The LAFD confirmed that two people died at the scene.
|
|
Driver arrested after returning to fatal hit-and-run scene in Winnetka
A 30-year-old motorist was arrested on suspicion of felony hit-and-run on suspicion of fatally striking a pedestrian in Winnetka and fleeing the scene, authorities said Sunday. It was not known why Gevorg George Gevorgyan returned to the crash location, where he was eventually arrested, the Los Angeles Police Department’s Media Relations Division said. The crash was reported at 9:34 p.m. Saturday at 7600 Winnetka Ave., at Saticoy Street, according to Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Brian Humphrey. The victim, who died at the scene, was described by the Los Angeles County coroner’s office as a man in his 40s.
|
|
Woman dead after North Hills crash involving fire truck
A woman died after a crash involving several vehicles, including a fire truck, in North Hills early Thursday, officials said. Just after midnight, a vehicle was heading east on Roscoe Boulevard when the driver apparently ran a red light and struck a vehicle, but continued driving, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. The driver then hit another vehicle carrying a 76-year-old woman who was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver continued and eventually struck a Los Angeles Fire Department engine.
|
|
Person Falls to Death from DTLA High-Rise
A person fell or jumped from a high-rise building in downtown Los Angeles Wednesday and died, authorities said. Firefighters sent to the 100 block of South Figueroa Street at about 10:05 a.m. on a report of a jumper reported that the person had fallen about 11 stories, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. According to the Los Angeles Police Department, the person was outside a window, jumped or fell from the building, and was fatally injured.
|
|
California Fire Map & Tracker
An interactive map of wildfires burning across the Bay Area and California.
|
|
USA’s 1st all-electric fire engine arrives in Los Angeles
It was a historic day in Los Angeles on Saturday, May 14, with the unveiling of the Fire Department’s newest addition to its fleet — the country’s first all-electric fire engine. LAFD officials and local dignitaries gathered at the Los Angeles Fire Department Historical Museum in Hollywood for Fire Service Day and to welcome the fire engine from Austrian-based Rosenbauer, a manufacturing company that builds tools and equipment for firefighters. The agency ordered the fire engine in 2020, with it originally to arrive in 2021 but complications caused by the coronavirus pandemic got in the way, Assistant Fire Chief Wade White said. At the time of the purchase, there were only three such Rosenbauer fire engines or trucks in the world, in Berlin, in Amsterdam and in Dubai. Other manufacturers might have produced somewhat-similar ones. But in regard to the United States, LAFD’s version is the first ever all-electric fire truck or engine in the country, the company says.
|
|
LA firefighter badly wounded in 2020 fire, explosion turns to fishing during recovery
A Los Angeles firefighter who was badly burned in a massive downtown L.A. explosion and fire two years ago is continuing his road to recovery. On May 16, 2020, explosions rocked a burning downtown vape shop. L.A. Fire Capt. Victor Aguirre rushed in to save lives and was the last firefighter to escape down a ladder when it was engulfed by a fireball. "I thought, this is how I die," Aguirre said. In total, 11 firefighters were hurt in the explosion. Aguirre's burns were catastrophic.
|
|
Remembering Our Fallen Brothers & Sisters |
|
Engineer
Darrell E. Witt
Deceased: 5/11/2022
Appointed: 1/6/1973
Assignment: FS 103
Retired: 1/17/1998
Engineer
Robert H. Roots
Deceased: 5/5/2022
Appointed: 7/2/1956
Assignment: FS 75
Retired: 8/10/1981
Deputy Chief
Anthony E. Giordano
Deceased: 5/3/2022
Appointed: 12/14/1948
Assignment: Operations
Retired: 6/30/1977
Firefighter III
Ronald I. Mihld
Deceased: 5/1/2022
Appointed: 12/4/1971
Assignment: FS 12
Retired: 7/16/2000
|
|
Captain I
Norman Pate
Deceased: 5/1/2022
Appointed: 1/4/1976
Assignment: FS 96
Retired: 2/26/2001
Engineer
Robert S. Armstrong
Deceased: 4/27/2022
Appointed: 2/10/1968
Assignment: FS 108
Retired: 6/11/2005
Fire Inspector
Francis A. Stevenson
Deceased: 4/23/2022
Appointed: 5/12/1962
Assignment: Research Unit
Retired: 10/15/1980
Paramedic
Richard R. Harris
Deceased: 4/22/2022
Appointed: 1/1/1969
Assignment: Quality Assurance Unit
Retired: 7/11/1996
|
|
Engineer
Frederick A. Adler
Deceased: 4/21/2022
Appointed: 7/2/1951
Assignment: FS 8
Retired: 3/1/1978
Fire Inspector
Francis E. Fairrington
Deceased: 4/17/2022
Appointed: 6/27/1959
Assignment: FPB Engineering Unit
Retired: 8/1/1989
Fireman
James C. Hodges
Deceased: 4/16/2022
Appointed: 5/12/1962
Assignment: FS 3
Retired: 7/2/1978
Assistant Chief
Edward A. Burns
Deceased: 4/17/2022
Appointed: 3/10/1962
Assignment: Chief Engineer’s Office
Retired: 3/25/1982
|
|
|
|
UFLAC’s 2021 LAFD Year In Review
UFLAC is proud to present the 2021 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 publication tells the story of our dedicated First Responders who continued to protect lives and property in Los Angeles while risking their own safety during another extraordinary year.
|
|
In 2021, our Firefighters and Paramedics responded to more than 475,000 emergency calls for service throughout Los Angeles - an average of 1,300 calls per day. As an all-risk fire and rescue agency serving more than four million people, the LAFD is one of the busiest and most understaffed big city fire departments in the entire country. UFLAC is honored to help showcase the dedication and commitment demonstrated by the men and women of the LAFD. Click HERE to view the publication.
|
|
About UFLAC: Since 1918, UFLAC has been the labor organization of the proud men and women that serve as firefighters and emergency medical responders protecting the City of Los Angeles. The members of the Los Angeles Fire Department rely on UFLAC to focus on the wellbeing and safety of those that protect the lives of others. For more information, visit www.uflac.org.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
