On Wednesday, May 23, 2007 at 2:35 PM, 13 Companies of Los Angeles Firefighters, 3 LAFD Rescue Ambulances, 3 Arson Units, 2 Urban Search and Rescue Units, 1 Hazardous Materials Team, 2 EMS Battalion Captains, 3 Battalion Chief Officer Command Teams and 1 Division Chief Officer Command Team, a total of 96 Los Angeles Fire Department personnel under the direction of Battalion Chief John Vidovich, responded to a Greater Alarm Structure Fire at 1901 Venice Boulevard in the Mid-City area of Los Angeles.

Alerted via an automatic fire alarm, Firefighters arrived quickly to discover smoke showing from the top floor of the U-shaped three-story Ruppert Hall administration building at Loyola High School.

Though occupants had self-evacuated in response to the audible fire alarm and staff direction at the Catholic Jesuit preparatory school, Firefighters launched systematic search and salvage efforts on all floors in the northwest wing of the structure, as their colleagues extended handlines to do battle with well-entrenched fire in a third floor office that was not directly protected by fire sprinklers.

The flames, held in check by the fire sprinklers in an adjacent hallway, were skilfully confined to the room of origin by Firefighters, who fully extinguished the blaze in just 17 minutes.

There were no injuries.

Swift and well-coordinated salvage efforts in a second floor library as well as a hallway and two rooms on the third floor, limited fire and collateral damage to only $145,000 ($125,000 structure & $20,000 contents).

The cause of the fire is categorized as accidental, and attributed to a candle toppled by a Priest.

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Submitted by Brian Humphrey, Spokesman
Los Angeles Fire Department