Firefighters Rescue Pair From Burning Sun Valley Home

On Sunday, November 25, 2007 at 2:46 AM, 6 Companies of Los Angeles Firefighters, 3 LAFD Rescue Ambulances, 1 EMS Battalion Captain and 1 Battalion Chief Officer Command Team, a total of 39 Los Angeles Fire Department personnel under the direction of Battalion Chief Dan McCarty, responded to a Structure Fire with Civilian Injuries at 8617 Lehigh Avenue in Sun Valley.

Firefighters arrived quickly to discover heavy fire within a one-story single family home, and reports of persons trapped in the blaze.

A swift and well-coordinated primary search of the 1,253 square-foot home was conducted simultaneous to fire attack, and Firefighters soon emerged with a 4 year-old male who had suffered burns to the forehead, ear and both hands.

In their continuing search of the smoke-charged building, Firefighters discovered a 35 year-old male collapsed on a bed. Disoriented and suffering from severe smoke inhalation, he was briskly assisted from the home to the care of awaiting LAFD Paramedics.

The boy was taken to Pacifica Hospital of the Valley, while his father went to Providence Holy Cross Medical Center, both in serious condition.

Six family members had been sleeping in the 3 bedroom home when the fire erupted. First to note the flames was a preteen female, who immediately called 9-1-1 to report the fire before she escaped.

Other family members were subsequently awakened by the distant screams of the injured 4 year-old boy, who had been with his sibling 9-1-1 caller, but remained in or near the room of fire origin.

Though able to escape with his wife, infant child and a preteen male from a bedroom at the rear of the home, the father was apparenty attempting to aid the trapped 4 year-old when he was overcome by the intense heat and smoke of the fire.

The fire was confined to the bedroom of fire origin and adjacent hallway, and extinguished in just 20 minutes.

No other injuries were reported.

It is important to note that Firefighters found no evidence of functional smoke alarms within the residence. There were no obvious physical factors impairing egress, and the 60 year-old home was not equipped with fire sprinklers.

Monetary loss from the fire is estimated at $80,000 ($50,000 structure & $30,000 contents).

The cause of this nearly-lethal blaze is a common culprit this time of year: an electric space heater in the children's room that toppled, igniting carpeting and bedding.


Submitted by Brian Humphrey, Spokesman
Los Angeles Fire Department