On Friday, September 1, 2006 at 5:23 PM, twenty Companies of Los Angeles Firefighters, eleven LAFD Rescue Ambulances, one Arson Unit, one Urban Search and Rescue Company, one Rehab Air Tender, one Emergency Air Unit, one Hazardous Materials Squad, two LAFD Helicopters, four EMS Battalion Captains, six Battalion Chief Officer Command Teams and one Division Chief Officer Command Team under the direction of Assistant Chief Richard Warford responded to a Major Emergency Residential Highrise Structure Fire at 4455 Los Feliz Boulevard in Los Feliz.

Firefighters arrived quickly to discover flames showing from two windows of a ninth-floor condominium in the west tower of the Los Feliz Towers, a thirteen story non-sprinklered residential highrise.

The LAFD Highrise Incident Command System was immediately initiated, as the lobby and elevators were secured and stairwells identified for Firefighter access and occupant egress.

A pair of LAFD Helicopters, serving separate roles of Command Reconnaisance and Airborne Engine Company were instantly dispatched to the scene, joining more than 150 LAFD personnel already assigned to the incident.

The calm and orderly self-evacuation of many residents and their guests was taking place unabated as teams of Firefighters ascended the stairwells to discover and assist many of the building's more fragile occupants with sheltering in place on floors far below or distant from the fire.

According to witnesses, an oxygen using 79 year-old female resident had started a fire by smoking. Her quick thinking 60 year-old female caretaker was, with considerable effort, able to drag her uninjured to the interior hallway as the fire raced through the apartment behind them.

Unable to take her any further, the caretaker descended the stairs to meet first-arriving Firefighters, who rescued the woman and guided several of her neighbors to safety.

A safe refuge and casualty collection point for many residents was soon established on the fourth floor, as Fire Attack Teams did swift battle with the intense fire in the one ninth floor unit.

Though heat and smoke scarred the outside of the building, the fire was confined to the 1,100 square-foot condominium of origin and extinguished in just thirty-one minutes.

The woman and her caretaker were examined by LAFD Paramedics before declining hospital transportation. Several residents were quickly evaluated for non-life threatening medical complaints on the fourth floor, as well as at a Triage Area which had been established outside the building.

A 70 year-old male living directly across the interior hall from unit of fire origin complained of smoke inhalation, and was transported to Hollywood Presbyterian/Queen of Angels Hospital in fair condition. No Firefighter injuries were reported.

Sadly, one pet dog perished in the flames.

Loss from the fire is estimated at $250,000 ($150,000 structure & $100,000 contents).

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image courtesy of benhigh at blogging.la

Submitted by Brian Humphrey, Spokesman
Los Angeles Fire Department

Tags: LA, Los Angeles, LAFD, Los Angeles Fire Department