LAFD: Van Nuys Major Emergency Structure Fire Injures 2 LA Firefighters

Thursday, February 16, 2012

LAFD: Van Nuys Major Emergency Structure Fire Injures 2 LA Firefighters

VAN NUYS - Over 125 Los Angeles Firefighters extinguished an enormous fire in a 150' x 100' one-story commercial building in just under two hours, where two Los Angeles Firefighters were injured.

Just after 5:00 pm on Wednesday February 15th 2012, firefighters arrived to find fire blowing out one unit of a strip mall, located at 6600 North Van Nuys Boulevard. Waves of additional firefighters were requested.

Extensive amounts of smoke could be seen for miles as it lingered low to the ground due to a heavy marine layer and slowly pushed south by light winds.

The structure located was of older construction with a conventional roof, parapet, and a common attic space. The open area under the roof allowed fire to rapidly spread across the tops of three business before hitting large division walls, halting the advancement of the flames.

Shortly into the extended battle, firefighters switched into a defensive attack. Truck Companies quickly finished cutting holes on the roof with chainsaws. Fire blew through the roof forcing firefighters to rapidly exit. Firefighters on the ground used large 2 1/2" hose-lines along with ladder pipe operations, where copious amounts of water was sprayed from the end of extended aerial ladder trucks, capable of 2000 gallons per minute, into the structure.

Three separate stores were damaged, doing business as: First Bargin Center, Birrieria Luita, and El Pantalon.

The blaze was fully extinguished in one hour and 53 minutes before any adjacent buildings were damaged.

Two firefighters received minor injuries and were transported to local hospitals in fair condition.

The dollar loss is still being tabulated and the cause is under active investigation.

Dispatch Info: 6600 N Van Nuys Bl, Van Nuys
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
TIME: 5:07 PM
INCIDENT #: 0926

Dispatched Units: E239 T39 E81 E102 E288 E88 T88 RA88 RA889 EM14 BC10 BC14 E100 E39 RA39 E289 E89 T89 E7 E90 RA100 E83 RA83 E278 T78 E298 T98 E273 T73 DC3 SQ21 EM15 EM17 EM9 BC12 UR88 BC5 AR2 RT83 EA1 RM2 E87 E60 E93 E287 T87 E305 T105 E237 T37 BC17 BC18 AR23 RA7 RA99 RA60 MD1
Official Report .pdf: http://xa.yimg.com/kq/groups/2838244/1446758011/name/021512-0926.pdf
Information Source: http://www.lafd.org/blog.htm

California Fire News 2011

No comments:

How fires get their names

Every year in California thousands of wildfires start throughout the state. In most cases, the dispatch center sending the initial resources to a wildland fire will designate a name for the fire, but the first on scene engine or fire official can also name the incident. Fires are usually named for the area in which they start – a geographical location, local landmark, street, lake, mountain, peak, etc. Quickly naming the fire provides responding fire resources with an additional locater, and allows fire officials to track and prioritize incidents by name. For example during the Southern California Fire Siege of 2003, the largest wildland fire in California history, the Cedar Fire in San Diego County, was named after the Cedar Creek Falls area where it started. The destructive Old Fire, which burned during the same time period in San Bernardino County, was named after the road along which it started - Old Waterman Canyon Road.

CAL FIRE is the largest fire department in California and the second largest fire department in the United States. CDF - CAL FIRE Firefighters answer the call more than 300,000 times a year. CAL FIRE Firefighters make up the fire department for 30 of our 58 counties in California and more than 100 local communities. We serve as the incident command during many of California’s most serious disasters. CAL FIRE Firefighters respond to many various types and forms of calls ranging from structural fires, to auto accidents, to earthquakes, to floods, to the spilling of hazardous materials, to every conceivable disaster; CAL FIRE answer's the calls. CAL FIRE is the largest fire department in California and the second largest fire department in the United States . CAL FIRE firefighters protect 33 million acres of State Responsibility Area (SRA). We have over 4,000 members within CAL FIRE and CAL FIRE is associated with the California Professional Firefighters (CPF) and the International Association of Firefighters (IAFF).

CFN - CALIFORNIA FIRE NEWS - CAL FIRE NEWS

Thursday, February 16, 2012