Cache of Dynamite Consumed in Controlled Blaze

On Tuesday, December 20, 2005 at 4:51 PM (PST), twenty-eight Companies of Los Angeles Firefighters, eight LAFD Rescue Ambulances, one Arson Unit, one Rehab Unit, one Helicopter, three EMS Battalion Captains, three Battalion Chief Officer Command Teams, one Division Chief Officer Command Team, four Brush Patrols, one LAFD Foam Tender, and various other supporting companies all under the direction of Deputy Chief Mario Rueda responded to an LAPD Bomb Squad Standby at 7955 Haskell Avenue in Van Nuys.

The Los Angeles Police Department had discovered approximately fifty pounds of dynamite stored inside of a refrigerator, located inside a commercial storage building.

Upon examination of the dynamite, it was determined to have become so degraded and unstable as to be extremely hazardous to attempt to remove from the building. A decision was made to conduct a controlled burn of the structure in an effort to incinerate the dynamite and render it harmless.

Firefighters took several actions to prepare the structure for the controlled burn, in an effort to limit damage and protect adjacent occupancies. The preparation included precutting ventilation holes in the roof, applying Barricade fire retardant gel to exposures and removing combustibles where safely possible.

In addition, apparatus and heavy stream appliances were pre-positioned to provide the most effective firefighting strategy available while still providing for Firefighter safety.

All Firefighters and other individuals were evacuated to a distance of 1000 feet to prevent injuries should an explosion occur. LAFD personnel were ordered to wear full personal protective gear including ballistic vests to prevent injuries.

The structure was ignited at approximately 6:23 AM on Wednesday, December 21.

Firefighters and Law Enforcement personnel allowed the building to freely burn until such time that Bomb Squad personnel believed that the dynamite was rendered harmless. The fire was controlled using master streams and hand lines on a limited basis.

When the fire was extinguished, the LAPD Bomb Squad evaluated the explosives and determined them to have been rendered harmless.

There were no reported injuries.

Due to preplanning and extensive structural preparation prior to igniting the fire, the incident hazard was abated with minimal damage to adjacent businesses or structures.

The dollar loss is still being tabulated. The incident is under formal investigation by LAFD and Law Enforcement officials, including the LAPD, FBI and ATF.

The Los Angeles Police Department later released a statement that reported four persons arrested in connection with this event.

Submitted by Ron Myers, Spokesman
Los Angeles Fire Department