LAFD - Structure fire - Police stop firefighters - 1 fatality

*Fatal Structure Fire*

Final update: Structure Fire With Civilian Fatality
18907 W. Knapp St.
Northridge
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
TIME: 9:13 PM
INCIDENT #: 1105

On Tuesday, January 27, 2009 at 9:13 PM, 5 Companies of Los Angeles Firefighters, 2 LAFD Rescue Ambulances, 1 Arson Unit, 1 EMS Battalion Captain, 1 Battalion Chief Officer Command Team, under the direction of Battalion Chief Gregory Reynar, responded to a Structure Fire With Civilian Fatality at 18907 W. Knapp St. in the Northridge area.

Firefighters arrived on scene to find a single family dwelling, approximately 1800 square feet, with one room well involved with fire. Police, also on scene, were at the residence for a prior incident. With information provided by Police on scene, Firefighters used extreme caution in deploying handlines to get a handle on the fire concentrated to rooms to the rear of the structure. The interior fire attack team relayed to the Incident Commander the fire had spread into the attic. The roof ventilation team also indicated they were getting good fire out of their ventilation holes. 23 minutes into the incident, the ventilation team was ordered off the roof.

Police on scene relayed to Firefighters a male occupant of the residence was still inside. During the preliminary search, Firefighters located the resident in a bedroom. He was pronounced at the scene. It took 33 Firefighters 34 minutes to knock down the fire. The cause was incendiary and the dollar loss was estimated at $400,000 [$300,000 structure, $100,000].

Update: Stop the presses! - Wash, Rinse, Repeat - New Spin! -
Editor: First reports were Police blocked firefighters from interior attack due to unarmed upset male?
Now the new version: Bedroom fire with man alive inside was too dangerous to fight!
Aggressive interior attack not possible says chief...
Firefighters tried to control fire with outside defensive streams while a person was inside?
Did the police FUBAR this thing!
Can police stop a firefighter from legally doing his job?
Editor willing to bet LAFD could of contained fire to bedroom within fifteen minutes and kept victim alive with an aggressive interior attack if cops had not been there.

The latest story according to Battalion Chief Greg Reynar the Fire was fought defensively from the outside "because the blaze quickly spread to the home's attic, creating dangerous firefighting conditions inside, Los Angeles Fire Department Battalion Chief Greg Reynar told Newsreel."
While half my guys were wrestling with the cops....

Hours later Firefighters discovered the deceased human in the bedroom, Ruiz said. His name was not immediately released.
Duh...

The fire caused significant damage to the home, and some damage to a home next door.
Due to the bedroom fire being to dangerous to aggressively attack...

Location: 10987 W. Luddington St.; MAP 503-A7; FS 77;
Initial Sizeup: Garage fully involved w/ SFD exposure. No rpts of inj @ this time.;
Comms: Ch:8,17
LAFD ALERT UPDATE: 31 Firefighters knocked down fire in 26 minutes. No rpts of inj. -
LAFD ALERT UPDATE: Jan 27, 9:23 pm *Structure Fire* 18907 W. Knapp St.; MAP 500-H7; FS 70; Fire showing in 1 room of 1 story SFD. NFD.; Ch:8,12 @ -d'Lisa Davies###
LAFD ALERT UPDATE: Jan 27 2009 9:49 pm
*UPDATE: 18907 W. Knapp St.* 33 Firefighters knocked down fire in 34 minutes. 1 fatality. NFD. - d'Lisa Davies### LAFD Alerts link

News story: One Killed in Northridge House Fire

Last Edited: Tuesday, 27 Jan 2009, 10:20 PM PST

Created: Tuesday, 27 Jan 2009, 10:17 PM PST

Fatal Northridge House Fire A person died in a house fire Tuesday night in Northridge, apparently set by a suicidal man, authorities said. The fire was reported at about 9:20 p.m. at 18907 W. Knapp St., near Wilbur Avenue, in Northridge, said d'Lisa Davies of the Los Angeles Fire Department. "Police were on the scene when firefighters arrived and initially would not let them inside the home, Davies said." 911 calls to the Los Angeles Police Department indicated that a unarmed suicidal man had set the fire, according to Officer Karen Smith, who cautioned that any information at this point could not be confirmed. The fire spread from one room to the attic of the home, but even given the delay, 33 firefighters were able to extinguish the blaze in 34 minutes, said Davies.

Source: MyfoxLA - Link

___________________________
Man enraged at wife sets home on fire, kills self

Daily News Wire Services

Posted: 01/28/2009 06:24:10 AM PST

Updated: 01/28/2009 06:26:26 AM PST

NORTHRIDGE - A 64-year-old man who had been fighting with his wife apparently set their Northridge home ablaze, killing himself and causing damage to the house and an adjacent residence, authorities said today.

Police responded to a call of a family dispute about 9 p.m. Tuesday at 18907 W. Knapp St., where a woman told police that her husband was threatening to harm her, Capt. Steven Ruiz of the Los Angeles Police Department told a Newsreel camera crew.

After police arrived at the scene, the woman exited the home safely while her husband remained inside, police said.

Moments later flames broke out inside the residence, prompting officers to enter the home, here they discovered a fire inside one of the bedrooms, Ruiz said.

Arriving fire crews fought the fire defensively -- from the exterior -- because the blaze quickly spread to the home's attic, creating dangerous firefighting conditions inside, Los Angeles Fire Department Battalion Chief Greg Reynar told Newsreel.

The fire was knocked down by 33 firefighters in roughly 35 minutes, said LAFD spokeswoman d'Lisa Davies.

Firefighters discovered the deceased man in the bedroom, Ruiz said. His name was not immediately released.

911 calls to the LAPD indicated that the fire had been set by a suicidal man, LAPD Officer Karen Smith said late Tuesday, adding that this information was not immediately confirmed.

The fire caused significant damage to the home, and some damage to a home next door,