Search for 28-year-old firefighter in Port of Long Beach turns to recovery operation

Authorities continued the search Friday for a 28-year-old firefighter who disappeared in the water at the Port of Long Beach. The search, now considered a recovery effort, began before 10 p.m. Wednesday near the 1200 block of Pier F Avenue. The off-duty firefighter was one of four men on a private boat near Pier F Wednesday night were freediving, which is a type of diving that doesn't require scuba gear. The missing diver was identified only as a 28-year-old man who had been with the Los Angeles Fire Department for six years. "As in-water operations continued tirelessly for more than 19 hours, the survivability profile of the diver and decreased visibility made it difficult to sustain prolonged search operations," the LAFD said in a Thursday statement. "Based on these factors and the extended time since the diver was last seen, the decision was made Thursday evening by Unified Command to transition from a search and rescue mission to a recovery operation.

NBC4/LAFD

Man found dead in Hollywood Hills home engulfed by flames

Fire erupted inside a two-story home Wednesday in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Hollywood Hills West where firefighters later discovered a deceased elderly man, officials confirmed to KTLA. Crews with the Los Angeles Fire Department responded to reports of the blaze at 8551 W. Lookout Mountain Avenue at around 4:45 p.m. this afternoon. Neighbor Jim Moore spotted the smoke coming from the home and called 911 before rushing in with his own water hose. “By the time I got to the top of the stairs, the windows blew out,” he told KTLA’s Carlos Saucedo. “That whole entire section of the structure was engulfed.” The narrow streets and the location of the hillside home made access for firefighters a challenge.

KTLA5/LAFD

Franklin Fire grows to 4,000 acres, but winds decrease on Malibu coast

Firefighters made steady progress as winds began to subside in Malibu and surrounding areas. As of 10:21 p.m. Wednesday the fire had burned 4,031 acres and had 7% containment, according to Cal Fire. Fire officials say the fire will take "a number of days" before the blaze is completely out. Evacuation orders remain for parts of Malibu and Topanga Canyon. Officials still have not determined the cause of the Franklin Fire, which started Monday night in the Malibu Canyon tunnel area.

NBC4

Spark of Love Toy Drive 2024

Join ABC7, the Southern California Firefighters and Toys for Tots, along with our presenting sponsor Subaru, in celebrating the 32nd year of the Spark of Love Toy Drive - the largest community toy drive in the nation.

TOY COLLECTION EVENTS

Friday, December 6, 2024

4:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

L.A. City & Pasadena - Rose Bowl (Lot F)

1001 Rose Bowl Dr, Pasadena

L.A. County - Los Cerritos Center

239 Los Cerritos Center, Cerritos

The parking area near Gridley Rd. and South St.

ABC7

Firefighters knock down flames at Harvard Heights church

Fire damaged a two-story church Friday afternoon in Los Angeles' Harvard Heights area. The fire was reported before 1 p.m. in the 2000 block of South Oxford Avenue in the community west of downtown Los Angeles. No injuries were reported. About 60 firefighters knocked down flames in 49 minutes, the LAFD said. "Crews had to locate and access fire within walls of one portion of the large church building and chase it through to ensure there were no pockets of fire remaining," the LAFD said in a statement. "The primary and secondary searches are clear with no one located inside."

NBC4

Firefighters Rescue Seven Dogs from Fire in West Hills

Firefighters rescued seven dogs from a contents fire inside a home in West Hills Saturday, authorities said. Firefighters dispatched at 11:23 a.m. Saturday to 7508 N. Royer Ave., a few blocks west of Fallbrook Avenue, had the fire out within 14 minutes of their arrival, the Los Angeles Fire Department reported. “Seven dogs were safely removed from the single family home without incident,” the LAFD’s Taylor Rappaport said. “No further details.”

MyNewsLA

Fire breaks out at Florence tire shop

Firefighters put out a fire at a tire shop in the Florence neighborhood of Los Angeles that was fully involved in flames. The fire was reported at 8:35 p.m. Saturday at 7200 S. Avalon Blvd., said the Los Angeles Fire Department's Margaret Stewart. The 42 firefighters who responded put out the flames in 37 minutes, Stewart said. The shop was about 1,400 square feet in size and was built in 1958, she said.

Fox11

Carport fire erupts at Sherman Oaks apartment complex, burns 6 vehicles and motorcycle

Los Angeles Fire Department firefighters battled a fire at a garden-style apartment building that burned six vehicles and a motorcycle inside a carport Thursday morning in Sherman Oaks. Fire crews responded to 12940 W Burbank Blvd., west of Coldwater Canyon at 4:10 a.m. where they proceeded to the carport, which is attached to the rear of the two-story apartment, found and extinguished the flames, said LAFD spokesman Brian Humphrey. It took 45 firefighters 43 minutes to extinguish the fire.

ABC7

Electrical transformer erupts in flames at LADWP facility in downtown

The majority of a transformer fire burning at a Los Angeles Department of Water and Power facility yard subsided, but firefighters remained at the scene to defend any exposed nearby buildings from the smoke. The remaining fire is isolated at one transformer -- or possibly two -- at the LADWP's approximately 200 feet x 200 feet building at 560 S. San Julian St. between Fifth and Sixth streets in downtown Los Angeles, which houses several of the utility's transformers. The fire was reported at 12:23 a.m. Saturday, said LAFD spokeswoman Margaret Stewart.

ABC7

Photo by Mike Meadows

Brush Fire in Sepulveda Basin is Area's Third Blaze of the Day

A fire scorched 2.5 acres in the Sepulveda Basin Tuesday afternoon. It was the third brush fire to break out in the San Fernando Valley area Tuesday. The blaze broke out just before 1 p.m. near the 5600 block of North Woodley Avenue, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. The blaze was extinguished a short time later with no injuries reported injuries. "Woodley Ave, northbound from Burbank to Victory, will be shut down and drivers are advised to seek alternate routes," Margaret Stewart, LAFD spokesperson, announced as crews battled the fire.

Los Angeles Patch

Griffith Park brush fire extinguished

Los Angeles Fire Department firefighters knocked down an approximately quarter-acre brush fire underneath the Griffith Observatory early this morning in Griffith Park near Los Feliz. The fire was reported at 4:29 a.m. at 2800 E. Observatory Road near the Greek Theater. Using both air and ground attacks, fire crews knocked down the flames, with no injuries reported and no structures damaged, said LAFD spokeswoman Margaret Stewart.

The Eastsider

Firefighters Quell Blaze at Skins Gentlemen's Club in Los Angeles; No Injuries Reported

A fire broke out in a commercial building in the Palms neighborhood of Los Angeles earlier today. The Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) reported heavy smoke coming from the attic of a one-story building at 3388 S Robertson Bl, known as Skins Gentlemen's Club, around 10:54 AM. Firefighters took offensive action to control the blaze, with Culver City FD Engine 44 also assisting on the scene. According to the incident alert, the LAFD called for two additional task forces to address the emergency. The LAFD successfully extinguished the fire in 32 minutes, as detailed by the Knockdown report. This report also states that 54 LAFD firefighters, accompanied by resources from the Culver City Fire Department, were involved in the firefighting efforts.

Hoodline

Los Angeles Firefighters Extinguish Manchester Square Home Blaze in 21 Minutes

Early this morning, a structure fire broke out in a one-story home located at 7627 S Halldale Avenue in Manchester Square. The Los Angeles Fire Department responded to the incident, with initial reports at 07:40 A.M. indicating heavy smoke emanating from the building. This information has been confirmed by LAFD's alert, which detailed the preliminary scene. The firefighting team, consisting of 32 firefighters, managed to gain control of the situation in a swift 21 minutes.

Hoodline

Sherman Oaks House Catches Fire

Firefighters were battling flames that engulfed a house Saturday evening in the Sherman Oaks area of Los Angeles. The fire was reported at 8:52 p.m. Saturday at 4605 N. Tobias Ave., just south of the Ventura (101) Freeway, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department’s Taylor Rappaport. The single-story, single-family house with a detached garage, was fully involved when firefighters arrived, he said. There were reports that the roof was about to collapse and that power lines were down, Rappaport said.

MyNewsLA

Swift LAFD Response Extinguishes Boyle Heights Apartment Fire in 12 Minutes, No Injuries Reported

A fire erupted on the second floor of a two-story apartment building in Boyle Heights late last night, prompting a swift response from the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD). The blaze was reported at 10:07 PM at 202 Gabriel Garcia Marquez St, as detailed by an LAFD alert. Firefighters attacked the flames offensively upon their arrival. In what seems, like a testament to their quick action, the fire was extinguished in approximately 12 minutes. The LAFD's efficiency was evident as they tackled the fire, confirmed to have started in one room, and contained it without letting it spread.

Hoodline

Pedestrian killed by hit-and-run driver in Arleta

A pedestrian was killed by a hit-and-run driver in Arleta on Wednesday. The crash happened at around 9:20 p.m. in the 14000 block of W. Terra Bella Street, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. Crews arrived and found the victim, identified as a 57-year-old Panorama City resident Frank Padilla., in the street. Los Angeles Police Department investigators say that the crash is being investigated as a hit and run after the driver fled from the area.

CBSLA

Three Critically Injured in DTLA Crash

Three people are in critical condition Saturday after a two-vehicle crash near Chinatown in downtown Los Angeles. Firefighters were called at 12:41 a.m. Saturday to 559 N. Broadway and East Cesar Chavez Boulevard where they freed three injured people from the collision, said Los Angeles Fire Department spokeswoman Margaret Stewart. The extracted victims were taken to a hospital in critical condition.

MyNewsLA

7 injured in multi-vehicle crash near Northridge mall

Seven people were rushed to the hospital Monday morning following a four-vehicle crash in Northridge that left one car overturned in the middle of the street. The collision was reported just before 12 p.m. on Dearborn Street near Northridge Fashion Center. According to the Los Angeles Fire Department, nine people were involved, seven of whom were transported to a hospital with non-life threatening injuries. The remaining two declined medical transport, LAFD said.

ABC7

5 rescued from burning boat near Terminal Island

Five people were rescued from a burning boat near Long Beach and San Pedro on Sunday. Around 4:40 p.m. Sunday, a 30-foot motorboat was reported to have caught fire at Berth 217, close to Terminal Island, outside the city limits, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. Five occupants of the boat were evacuated to safety, according to the LAFD. Two people suffered undisclosed injuries. It was unclear if they were transported for medical aid. Crews from the fire department were towing the boat to an unspecified salvage yard for final extinguishment and any required overhaul.

LA Daily News

Train hits, kills pedestrian in San Fernando Valley

A man died on Sunday after he was hit by a train near Chatsworth in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles, authorities confirmed. The collision occurred at 12:03 p.m. Sunday in the area of 19840 West Nordhoff Place, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. The man was hit by an Amtrak Pacific Surfliner train, officials said. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

KTLA5

1 Dead in Fall or Jump from Sixth Street Bridge

A person either fell or jumped to their death Thursday from the Sixth Street Bridge into the L.A. River in Boyle Heights. Authorities responded to the 1400 block of East Sixth Street around 3 p.m. Thursday to reports of a deceased person in the mostly dry riverbed, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.

MyNewsLA

Chemical spill at Anheuser-Busch brewery in Van Nuys leads to evacuation

A chemical spill at the Anheuser-Busch facility in Van Nuys, which produces beer by Budweiser and several other brands, led to an evacuation Saturday, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. Employees of the factory, located at 8250 North Woodley Avenue, reported a fire involving hazardous materials around noon which firefighters later discovered had been partially put out when they responded, LAFD said in an alert. Investigators learned about 10 gallons of hydrogen peroxide were involved in the fire and hazardous materials teams were sent to the scene. As they investigated, with the fire department also monitoring the hazmat incident from the air, evacuations were issued in the area as a precaution, according to LAFD. No injuries were reported, authorities said. All evacuations were lifted at 2:30 p.m., firefighters said.

CBSLA

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, a national observance started in 1949 to bring attention to the importance of mental wellbeing. We can all help prevent suicide. The 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

Fire Inspector I

John R. Wrightson III

Deceased: 12/4/2024

Appointed: 8/11/1980

Assignment: Valley Fire Prevention

Retired: 8/10/1995

Firefighter III

John R. Hersko

Deceased: 11/20/2024

Appointed: 11/24/1962

Assignment: FS 37

Retired: 6/22/1993

Battalion Chief

Carlton E. Callaway

Deceased: 11/20/2024

Appointed: 4/8/1961

Assignment: Battalion 6

Retired: 12/17/2000

Firefighter III

Richard J. Koehler

Deceased: 11/15/2024

Appointed: 1/15/1979

Assignment: FS 80

Retired: 2/28/2015

Engineer

Bob D. Webb

Deceased: 11/10/2024

Appointed: 4/30/1966

Assignment: Boat 2

Retired: 7/20/1997

Captain I

Michael J. Rodriguez

Deceased: 10/30/2024

Appointed: 10/20/1974

Assignment: FS 18

Retired: 6/30/2011

Captain

William J. Buckley

Deceased: 10/25/2024

Appointed: 2/20/1960

Assignment: FS 56

Retired: 7/9/1981

Captain I

Richard W. Berry, Jr.

Deceased: 10/20/2024

Appointed: 7/2/1951

Assignment: FS 79

Retired: 7/1/1977

Battalion Chief

Thomas R. Brennan

Deceased: 10/20/2024

Appointed: 11/3/1973

Assignment: OCD

Retired: 7/31/2007

Fireman

William E. Stanton

Deceased: 10/20/2024

Appointed: 1/29/1959

Assignment: FS 105

Retired: 10/9/1990

Battalion Chief

Carl A. Butler

Deceased: 10/19/2024

Appointed: 4/13/1968

Assignment: FS 50

Retired: 1/15/2005

Firefighter III

Joseph G. Scott

Deceased: 10/2/2024

Appointed: 9/14/1986

Assignment: FS 48

Retired: 5/31/2017

UFLAC’s 2023 LAFD Year In Review

UFLAC is proud to present the 2023 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.