May 21, 2021
Here’s the latest news impacting Los Angeles Firefighters…
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Suspected arsonist charged in 1,158-acre Palisades Fire; residents return amid 47% containment
An arson suspect who had been in custody since Sunday in connection with the 1,158-acre brush fire in Pacific Palisades was identified Tuesday morning. Ramon Santos Rodriguez, 48, was charged Tuesday with one felony count each of arson of a structure or forest and arson during a state of emergency, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office. "Helicopter pilots had seen him make multiple sets and ID'ed him starting additional fires," said Erik Scott, Los Angeles Fire Department spokesperson. "So in fact we did have him, not just as an arson suspect, but we were able to completely ID and confirm that, and that's why we arrested him."
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Presenting 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. 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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24 fires a day: Surge in flames at L.A. homeless encampments a growing crisis
The fire began at 3 a.m., quickly destroying the clapboard bungalow two blocks from Venice Beach. The tenant was away for the night, but her dog, Togo, succumbed after his howls of panic and pain left helpless neighbors with a memory they can’t forget. While arson investigators have yet to determine a cause in the April 20 blaze, traumatized neighbors quickly linked it to a rash of fires in Venice’s growing homeless camps. “We may never know for sure what happened,” next-door neighbor Francesca Padilla wrote in an impassioned email to dozens of city officials. “What we know for sure is that around my home and the school across the street from it there are people cooking on sidewalks and RV kitchenettes, burning fires to keep warm, using generators for electricity, living out of their cars, smoking and using drugs in makeshift shacks and tents.” The angst in Venice is part of a widening tableau of fear, anger and tragedy that has become an everyday consequence of homelessness across Los Angeles.
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LAFD Observes Mental Health Awareness Month
During the month of May, the Fire Service will be participating in a nationwide Stand Down for Suicide Prevention. This is an excellent opportunity to have honest and real conversations about life stressors that can take our service members to the brink of suicide, or the factors that lead to it. To do this we need to first discuss the issues that get in the way of appropriately talking about and coping with distress. Stigma is one of the contributing factors that stops firefighters from seeking help. Stigma is considered a mark of disgrace that prevents people from doing things or speaking out in a manner that allows them to improve. Like most emergency responders, firefighters are expected to be calm, level-headed and able to face challenging situations with courage. Firefighters have long been expected to contain their emotions and approach their jobs with logic and reason, with the understanding that only those who have the ability to successfully manage the stress and emotional aspects of the job would be successful. Some firefighters may also believe that they are not vulnerable to mental health issues due to their strict training dealing with challenging situations.
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1 person found dead near fire at Sun Valley homeless encampment
Firefighters found one person dead while putting out a vegetation fire at a homeless encampment along the 5 Freeway in Sun Valley early Sunday, May 9. The fire was spotted along northbound lanes near Lankershim Boulevard at 2:26 a.m., California Highway Patrol officials said. Firefighters responded and found the body of a person who died at the scene, Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Brian Humphrey said. A representative from the Los Angeles County coroner’s office was called to the scene at 3:12 a.m., the CHP said. The identity of the person who died was not immediately released.
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Crews put out brush fire along freeway in Granada Hills
Crews quickly put out a brush fire along the 118 Freeway in Granada Hills Wednesday evening. Sky5 was overhead just before 8 p.m. as flames could be seen engulfing trees and brush between the freeway and nearby homes. A group of 22 firefighters extinguished the half-acre fire in an area with “light vegetation,” the Los Angeles Fire Department said.
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Firefighters Battle Smoky Auto Fire Inside Hollywood Building
Firefighters in Hollywood put out a fire at a six-story building Sunday morning that originated from a vehicle on the first floor, the Los Angeles Fire Department said. Firefighters dispatched at 10:20 a.m. to 1460 N. Cahuenga Blvd. had the fire out at 10:40 a.m., according to Margaret Stewart of the LAFD. Smoke was billowing from the first floor of the building as firefighters worked to quell the flames. "While the units assigned reached a Major Emergency Status (100 firefighters), it was handled prior to the arrival of additional resources," Stewart said. "There are no injuries. Crews on scene will use blowers to ventilate the building and most resources will be released."
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Attic Fire at South Los Angeles Home Extinguished in 19 Minutes
Firefighters extinguished an attic fire inside a home in South Los Angeles in 19 minutes Friday. The blaze at 1404 E. 49th St., near Compton Avenue, was reported around 3:10 p.m., according to Nicholas Prange of the Los Angeles Fire Department. Firefighters used blowers to ventilate the home and clear out the smoke and gas, Prange said.
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Firefighters Put Out Flames in Hyde Park Home
It took 29 firefighters 31 minutes this morning to put out a blaze that started in one room of a Hyde Park house and spread into the attic. The fire was reported at 2:30 a.m. at 3486 W. 71st St., said the Los Angeles Fire Department's Margaret Stewart. Flames were showing when firefighters arrived, Stewart said. The fire was out at 3:01 a.m., she said.
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Brush Fire Burns in Lincoln Heights
Firefighters battled a quarter-acre brush fire Saturday afternoon in the Lincoln Heights area of Los Angeles. The fire was reported at 4:19 p.m. at 1759 N. Broadway, said the Los Angeles Fire Department’s Nicholas Prange. “Firefighters are engaging in a direct attack on the fire,” Prange said. No structures were threatened.
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LAFD Extinguishes Fire Inside Westlake Four-Plex in 16 Minutes
A fire inside a two-story, four-plex in the Westlake district was extinguished in about 16 minutes Tuesday evening and no injuries were reported. The blaze inside the 3,312-square foot residence at 509 S. Westlake Ave., near Sixth Street, was reported at 9:07 p.m., according to Nicholas Prange of the Los Angeles Fire Department. It was initially reported that victims were trapped inside the home but firefighters found no one inside, Prange said.
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LAFD Knocks Down Fire Inside Vacant Home in Florence Area
Firefighters knocked down a blaze today inside a vacant home in the Florence area of Los Angeles. The fire at 8127 S. Broadway St. was reported at 2:57 a.m., Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Nicholas Prange said. The department dispatched 28 firefighters to the scene and extinguished the flames in about 18 minutes, Prange said.
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Van Nuys Apartment Fire Held to Unit of Origin
It took 31 firefighters 11 minutes to put out flames in a Van Nuys apartment Saturday. The fire was reported at 2:56 p.m. in an apartment in the garden-style building at 14555 W. Saticoy St., according to the Los Angeles Fire Department's Margaret Stewart. Firefighters contained the flames to the one unit, Stewart said. No injuries were reported.
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One Dead, 3 Hospitalized After Hollywood Shooting
A shooting at a gathering in Hollywood left one man dead and sent three men to hospitals with gunshot wounds. The shootings were reported at 10:16 p.m. Sunday at 6112 W. Afton Place, said the Los Angeles Fire Department's Brian Humphrey. Streets were closed in the area Monday morning as police investigated. The victims were all men in their 30s and 50s, according to a desk officer at the Los Angeles Police Department's Operations Center. The shootings apparently were the result of an argument at a gathering, he said.
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Sylmar crash kills woman, 57, injures two men
A 57-year-old woman died when she was struck by a driver who crossed over double yellow lines, hitting her head-on, authorities said. The crash, which sent two men to hospitals, was reported at 9:30 p.m. Sunday at 16637 Foothill Blvd., according to the Los Angeles Fire Department’s Brian Humphrey. A 50-year-old man was northbound at a high rate of speed when he crossed over the double yellow lines and hit the woman’s vehicle head-on, according to a dispatcher at the Los Angeles Police Department’s Operations Center.
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Worker rescued after being trapped between forklift, marble slab at North Hollywood facility
A worker was rescued Tuesday morning after apparently getting trapped between a forklift and what witnesses described as nearly 6,000 pounds of marble at a facility in North Hollywood, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. The incident was reported about 9:55 a.m. at an indoor storage and industrial sales facility at 10725 W. Vanowen St. near the Hollywood Burbank Airport. The man was conscious and breathing when firefighters were called to the scene, and he was taken to a hospital in fair condition after the rescue, an LAFD alert indicated.
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One Killed in Multi-Vehicle Crash in South L.A. Area
A multi-vehicle crash in the south Los Angeles area Thursday left one person dead and three other people injured. The collision was reported about 8:30 a.m. in the 5300 block of South Vermont Avenue, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. The conditions of the survivors were unknown.
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Tracking coronavirus vaccinations in California
Experts say about 85% of Americans will need to be vaccinated to bring the COVID-19 pandemic under control. This page tracks California’s progress toward that goal using data from state and federal authorities.
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California is primed for a severe fire season, but just how bad is anybody’s guess
At this point, it seems like almost a given that California will see another historic fire season. A meager rainy season is in the rearview mirror. Snowpack is depleted. Vegetation and soils are parched. “All the indications are that we are heading into another really bad fire year,” said Safeeq Khan, assistant cooperative extension specialist of water and watershed sciences at the University of California Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources. But there are still some key variables that haven’t yet taken shape. Weather events, human behavior and even luck will dictate whether 2021 goes down in the record books like 2020, when California wildfires burned an area larger than the state of Connecticut.
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UFLAC, LAFD, and Stevens Nation Join Forces to Support ALS Awareness
UFLAC, LAFD, and Stevens Nation have joined forces to promote and support ALS Awareness during the month of May. As you know, we recognize October as Breast Cancer Awareness Month and participate in "Movember" during "No Shave November" to bring awareness to men's health issues, such as prostate cancer and testicular cancer. Now it is time to raise awareness for all those diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), including one of our own Firefighters, Eric Stevens. Eric was diagnosed with ALS a month after getting married. His hope is to shed light on this underfunded disease, start a dialogue, and motivate people in power to make changes that allow terminally ill patients to have access to treatments that are still in trials but are proven to be safe. Stevens Nation is advocating for patients who don’t have a year or two to wait for treatment to have access to this medical care that might drastically reduce their suffering. For more information, please visit https://stevensnation.com and follow #AxeALS and #PushForTreatment on social media.
Click HERE to order your ALS Awareness Gear
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Remembering Our Fallen Brothers & Sisters |
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Captain
Larry D. Simpson
Deceased: 5/14/2021
Appointed: 4/8/1961
Assignment: FS 96
Retired: 8/31/1986
Captain II
Mark A. Martinez
Deceased: 5/8/2021
Appointed: 12/14/1980
Assignment: FS 61
Retired: 1/30/2016
Engineer
Raymond R. Mayo, Jr.
Deceased: 5/7/2021
Appointed: 4/12/1981
Assignment: Metro Fire Dispatch
Retired: 10/31/2014
Captain
Arthur Stecher
Deceased: 5/1/2021
Appointed: 7/15/1947
Assignment: FS 100
Retired: 7/1/1977
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Captain
Edward R. Villavicencio
Deceased: 4/30/2021
Appointed: 5/12/1962
Assignment: FS 98
Retired: 6/28/1993
Captain
Theodore C. Foor
Deceased: 4/18/2021
Appointed: 5/19/1958
Assignment: FS5
Retired: 12/13/1979
Captain II
Earl A. Seddon
Deceased: 4/17/2021
Appointed: 5/19/1958
Assignment: FS49
Retired: 10/19/1986
Engineer
Oral J. Hogan
Deceased: 4/14/2021
Appointed: 11/7/1959
Assignment: FS80
Retired: 6/29/1990
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Assistant Chief
Frank W. Borden
Deceased: 4/9/2021
Appointed: 11/7/1959
Assignment: Training Division
Retired: 1/7/1996
Fire Inspector I
Lee S. Lewis
Deceased: 4/7/2021
Appointed: 12/14/1980
Assignment: FPB Film Unit
Retired: 5/31/2018
Engineer
Donald J. Brown, Jr.
Deceased: 3/30/2021
Appointed: 2/1/1955
Assignment: FS8
Retired: 6/1/1978
Paramedic
Douglas E. Brown
Deceased: 3/28/2021
Appointed: 1/1/1955
Assignment: EMS Bureau Staff Assistant
Retired: 8/4/1985
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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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