Major Emergency Commercial Fire in Downtown
Monday, March 13, 2017
LAFD Spokesperson: Margaret Stewart
Firefighters waged a two hour battle with master streams to gain the upper hand
Photo Credits:
Creative Commons Licensed For Your Use: LAFD Photo | Jorge ArellanoLOS ANGELES-
A fierce battle ensued in a Downtown Los Angeles commercial fire where firefighters prevented a massive blaze from consuming multiple businesses.
At 6:32PM, the Los Angeles Fire Department responded to 815 S Central Av to find a 6,000 square-foot one story, L-shaped commercial building with heavy fire showing through the roof.
Conditions quickly dictated a transition to defensive operations and firefighters rapidly employed ladder pipes, portable monitors and 2 ½ inch hand lines, attacking the fire from all angles.
The open building housed multiple vendors and contained large, bulky storage which created a heavy fire load, driving the intense flames. A large quantity of chili peppers burning in the structure added an irritant to the smoke; yet another factor for the crews to face. While the bulk of the fire was contained in just over an hour, the fire extended into the attic, camping out in locations difficult to reach with the exterior water application.
Over 190 firefighters, led by Deputy Chief Daren Palacios, waged battle for nearly two hours before gaining the upper hand. Firefighters contained the flames to the unit of origin and protected adjacent businesses from harm.
Once the bulk of the fire was extinguished, demobilization began and some units were released. Firefighters remained on the incident throughout the evening to continue addressing hot spots and ensure the safety of the community.
The cause of the fire is under investigation and the dollar loss is being tabulated. No injuries were reported.
(Lower photo © John Conkle)
Units dispatched: E9 T9 RA9 RA809 E17 E10 T10 E210 SQ21 BC1 BC11 E4 RA209 RA209 CM22 RA17 RA10 E209 E14 E203 T3 E235 T35 E25 T11 E211 E201 T1 EM1 BC13 BC18 UR3 RA803 HR56 E5 UR88 BC5 E3 SU2 EA1 RA3 RA13 EM11 EM13 BC14 BC2 E233 T33 AR1 E11 E12 E46 E94 E226 T26 E260 T60 E26 HU59 E95 SQ95 T95 E295 RA95 T21 E221 SQ95 E202 T2 E27 CM31 E89 E15 E288 T88 E215 T15 LD1 LD2 TP3 DT1 CM21
