On Saturday, April 22, 2006 at 2:33 AM, eighteen Companies of Los Angeles Firefighters, seven LAFD Rescue Ambulances, one Heavy Rescue Unit, one Arson Unit, one Urban Search and Rescue Unit, one Hazardous Materials Team, two EMS Battalion Captains, five Battalion Chief Officer Command Teams, an Emergency Air Unit, and one Division Chief Officer Command Team, under the direction of Assistant Chief Curtis James, responded to a Major Emergency Structure Fire at 15440 Sherman Way in Van Nuys.

First units on the scene reported a large three-story center hallway apartment building with two units on the second floor well involved with fire.

As Firefighters made their way to the third floor with handlines to attack the fire, they encountered heavy smoke and heat in the hallway just prior to entering the involved units.

Attacking the fire with handlines and simultaneously conducting search and rescue operations for trapped occupants, Firefighters confined the bulk of the fire to one unit with moderate damage a second unit and extinguished the flames in approximately twenty-nine minutes. Moderate water damage was restricted to two units just below the fire floor.

It took over one-hundred and twenty Firefighters to mitigate the incident. There were five injuries, including one Firefighter and four civilians adults.

During the initial search of the exterior of the building for victims, Firefighters located three adults who had apparently jumped from upper floor windows in separate locations and were suffering from minor to moderate injuries to their lower extremities. One adult from the fire floor was also assessed for minor smoke inhalation.

The four civilians were treated on the scene, with three later transported to local hospitals. During firefighting operations, one firefighter suffering from heat exhaustion was treated on the scene and released.

The American Red Cross was contacted to assist six occupants with temporary shelter.

Fire damage is estimated at $265,000. ($250,000 structure and $15,000 contents). The cause of the fire remains under active investigation.

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Submitted by Jim Wells, Spokesman
Los Angeles Fire Department