On Monday, May 9, 2011 at 4:26 PM, 4 Companies of Los Angeles Firefighters, 2 LAFD Rescue Ambulances, 1 EMS Battalion Captain and 1 Battalion Chief Officer Command Team, a total of 27 Los Angeles Fire Department personnel under the direction of Battalion Chief John Drake, responded to a Structure Fire at 6014 Farmdale Avenue in North Hollywood.

Firefighters arrived quickly to find heavy smoke showing from a one-story single family home. Forcing entry, they encountered intense fire within the dining area and kitchen.

Simultaneous to their assault on the flames, firefighters performed a rapid yet thorough search of the 1,116 square-foot building - in zero visibility conditions, to discover and rescue a pair of lifeless pet dogs from the smoke-charged home.

While a relentless fire attack continued - and with no human patients found, teams of Los Angeles Firefighters, including Firefighter/Paramedics, began vigorous attempts at resuscitating the canines using every tool at their disposal, including specialized animal care supplies.

Within a few minutes, one of the pets was sadly determined to be beyond medical help, while the other was seen as clinging to life. The latter animal was provided unyielding care for nearly one-half hour by LAFD personnel, who transported the dog in a Fire Department vehicle to a nearby veterinary office.

Despite the combined effort of firefighters and a veterinarian, the dog succumbed soon after arrival at the animal hospital. It is believed that both pets died due to smoke exposure.

The fire was confined within the two rooms of origin and extinguished in just 17 minutes. No human injuries were reported. The 59 year-old home was not equipped with residential fire sprinklers.

Monetary loss from the fire has been estimated at $85,000 ($75,000 structure & $10,000 contents). The cause of this late afternoon blaze is categorized as electrical.

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Submitted by Brian Humphrey, Spokesman
Los Angeles Fire Department