Major Emergency Fire Destroys Market

On Thursday, July 17, 2008 at 3:52 AM, 20 Companies of Los Angeles Firefighters, 7 LAFD Rescue Ambulances, 1 Arson Unit, 2 Urban Search and Rescue Units, 1 Hazardous Materials Team, 3 EMS Battalion Captains, 5 Battalion Chief Officer Command Teams, 1 Division Chief Officer Command Team, and 1 L. A. County Fire company, all under the direction of Assistant Chief Craig Fry responded to a Major Emergency Structure Fire at 9149 S. Western Ave. in South Los Angeles.

Firefighters arrived on scene to find a large, single-story, super market with heavy fire showing from the roof. In addition, the fire was impinging on the attached commercial building to the north. An aggressive interior fire attack was established in concert with fellow Firefighters performing vertical ventilation on the roof.

Approximately thirty minutes into the fire-fight, amid concerns for Firefighter safety, all personnel were ordered off the roof and withdrawn from the interior of the building. Master stream, large diameter hoselines, were set up on the exterior of the building and on aerial ladders to provide large volumes of water to extinguish the fire.

Shortly after transitioning to a defensive mode, the roof collapsed, followed a short time later by a partial collapse of the walls. Additional Firefighters protected the adjacent, attached, commercial building from both interior and rooftop positions, preventing the fire from extending into the structure. It took one hour and thirty minutes to control the fire.

The business, Park's Super Market Inc., sustained major damage. There were no injuries reported. The dollar loss and cause of the fire are under investigation.

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Submitted by Ron Myers, Spokesman
Los Angeles Fire Department