News

LAFD Battles Greater Alarm Fire at Boyle Heights Cabinetry Shop

Wednesday, August 15, 2018
LAFD Firefighters Battle Flames at a Boyle Heights Cabinetry Shop on August 15, 2018.
Photo Credits: Creative Commons Licensed for Your Use: LAFD Photo by David Ortiz
BOYLE HEIGHTS-
One firefighter was injured when fast moving flames swept through a cabinetry shop in Boyle Heights during the noon hour Wednesday.    The first of several 9-1-1 calls arrived at 12:03 PM on August 15, 2018, notifying the Los Angeles Fire Department of an apparent structure fire at 1407 South Esperanza Street in Boyle Heights. With a towering column of smoke visible from a distance, LAFD responders requested additional resources be assigned prior to their arrival.    Los Angeles Firefighters arrived quickly to find a crew from the neighboring Vernon Fire Department pulling up to the scene, after having noticed the thick smoke from their adjacent jurisdiction. Working seamlessly together as waves of LAFD responders arrived, the crews were immediately challenged by downed and arcing high voltage power lines on three sides of the burning property, where flames had ignited combustible storage and vegetation before consuming a free-standing spray booth and fiercely extending into all portions of a tall one-story metal-clad building that housed a kitchen cabinet production facilty.    One hundred and four firefighters under the command of LAFD Assistant Chief Antoine McKnight used handlines and heavy stream appliances to prevent the flames from destroying an adjacent (currently unidentified) woodworking business, limiting damage to that firm's fiberglass roof, sparing the merchandise, tools, equipment and business records from direct fire damage. They extingushed the flames in just 43 minutes.      During the intense firefight, one Los Angeles Firefighter sustained a significant laceration to his face. In fair condition, he was transported to an area hospital by LAFD ambulance, where he was treated and released to remain off-duty. No other injuries were reported.     Fire loss to Mi Fabriquita Kitchen Cabinets is still being tabulated. The cause of the greater alarm fire was determined to be mechanical in nature; caused the spark of an electrically powered spray booth exhaust fan igniting volatile vapors.      Dispatched LAFD Units: BC1 BC11 BC2 BC5 CM21 CM22 E1 E14 E17 E2 E201 E203 E21 E221 E227 E25 E3 EA1 EM14 EM25 HR3 HU59 RA17 RA25 RA3 RA803 SQ21 T1 T11 T27 T3 T9 UR3 UR88 & City of Vernon Fire Department
Share this
Follow LAFD

Translate