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Saturday, May 22, 2010 | 
On Saturday, May 22, 2010 at 12:26 AM, 11 Companies of Los Angeles Firefighters, 2 LAFD Rescue Ambulances, 2 Arson Units, 1 Hazardous Materials Team, 3 Helicopters, 1 EMS Battalion Captain, 2 Battalion Chief Officer Command Teams and 1 Division Chief Officer Command Team, a total of 78 Los Angeles Fire Department personnel under the direction of Battalion Chief John Drake, responded to a Greater Alarm Structure Fire at 3580 Avenida del Sol in Studio City.
With light winds from the north and a concern for flying embers igniting volatile vegetation, three LAFD Helicopters were deployed for command support and water dropping capabilities.
Navigating a long driveway with several parked cars, as well as the property's sloped terrain, ground-based firefighters soon encircled the free burning 2,051 square-foot home, negating the need for helicopter water drops but gaining clear tactical advantage from LAFD aerial reconnaissance.
Firefighters confined the fire to the involved structure, sparing an adjacent 833 square-foot building on the premises. They extinguished the flames in just 36 minutes without injury.
The adult male homeowner, alone and asleep within the residence at the time of the blaze, was awakened by the sound of breaking glass and able to escape unharmed prior to the Fire Department's arrival.
The presence and functional status of required smoke alarms could not be immediately determined. The 66 year-old building was not equipped with residential fire sprinklers.The property owner's compliance with LAFD brush clearance regulations played a key role in preventing the fire from spreading to neighboring homes.
Fire loss is still being tabulated. The cause of the blaze remains under active investigation.
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Submitted by Brian Humphrey, Spokesman
Los Angeles Fire Department
2 comments:
Nice job, as always! Great save, great proactive use of resources, and great job taking the opportunity to recognize the part that brush clearance compliance played in confining this fire to the structure of origin.
Gary,
Thank you for the kind words of confidence, which we will share with Battalion Chief Drake and the responders under his command.
We hope that many of our friends and neighbors in areas prone to wildfire will share our common belief in both the importance and practicality of brush clearance in keeping our community safe.
We look forward to your future installments of Cooking Without Fear, and trust that you will have some firehouse favorites to offer!
Again, thank you for taking the time to visit and participate at the LAFD News & Information blog.
Respectfully Yours in Safety and Service,
Brian Humphrey
Firefighter/Specialist
Public Service Officer
Los Angeles Fire Department
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