20-mile procession honors LA County firefighter killed in quarry explosion

Colleagues on freeway overpasses stood in solemn salute Wednesday as a 20-mile procession passed for a fallen 52-year-old Los Angeles County firefighter on its way to his final resting place. Andrew Pontious, a 19-year veteran firefighter, died in the line of duty Friday when a burning front-loader exploded at a quarry in the Antelope Valley community of Littlerock north of Los Angeles. His is survived by his wife, stepdaughter, parents and brother, a former county fire department captain. Firefighters with the Los Angeles County Fire Department and nearby agencies were part of the procession from the coroner's office near downtown Los Angeles to Forest Lawn-Covina Hills cemetery.

NBC4

11 L.A. firefighters hurt battling homeless encampment fire

Eleven Los Angeles city firefighters were injured in an explosion, one seriously, while battling a fire at a homeless encampment on Monday, authorities said. The fire was first reported around 1:30 p.m. in a grouping of trees in the Sepulveda Basin area of L.A.’s San Fernando Valley. “As firefighters made access to the flames, there was an explosion causing an injury to a firefighter,” the L.A. Fire Department said in a brief statement. The firefighter was first moved to an open softball field and then transported by helicopter to Northridge Hospital. Fire officials told KTLA that the injured firefighter suffered serious injuries but had been upgraded to stable condition.

UFLAC/KTLA5/LAFD

Celebrate Independence Day Safely at a Public Fireworks Show or Drone Display

Think About Your Neighbors and Celebrate SAFELY This Year! All fireworks, even the so-called 'safe and sane' variety remain illegal for personal possession or use in the City of Los Angeles. Attending a professional fireworks show or drone display is the safest and smartest way to celebrate Independence Day 2024. Click HERE for a list of Professional Fireworks Shows within the City of Los Angeles.

LAFD

Prepare and Protect Your Pets from Fireworks

With their sensitive hearing, many household pets become terrified by fireworks. In Los Angeles, it's not uncommon this time of year for firefighters to deal with persons bitten or injured by skittish animals or traffic collisions caused by wayward dogs, cats and horses. While we encourage attendance at a professional fireworks show, it's best to leave your furry friends at home with someone to watch over them. In fact, now is a good time to prepare your home to safely harbor your pet from frightful sights and sounds associated with Independence Day celebrations.

LAFD

Fire season is here and San Fernando Valley feels the heat

A bit of unkempt brush or a debris-filled gutter can be all it takes for a wildfire to engulf a home. As this year’s wildfire season heats up, experts in this field say it’s crucial for San Fernando Valley residents to be prepared, and the California Office of Emergency Services, as well as the Los Angeles Fire Department, are working to educate locals. Tens of thousands of Angelenos live in areas designated by state officials as Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones and many developed residential areas of the Valley are in the fire hazard zone. The zone includes parts of neighborhoods that range from Studio City to Encino to Woodland Hills along the south edge of the Valley, and range from Porter Ranch to Chatsworth and Sylmar along the north edge of the Valley, and range from Tujunga to Sun Valley on the east.

LA Daily News

2023 LAFD Year In Review by United Firefighters of Los Angeles City

UFLAC is proud to present the 11th Annual Los Angeles Fire Department Year in Review. Our mission is to lead the way to protect and advocate for the health, safety, working conditions, wages and benefits of our members and their families. This publication tells the story of our Firefighters and Paramedics in images taken throughout 2023 when LAFD Crews responded to a record number of more than 509,000 emergency calls for service. As an all-risk fire and rescue agency that serves more than four million people, the LAFD is one of the busiest and most understaffed urban fire departments in the entire country, averaging more than 1,350 calls per day. We are honored to help showcase the dedication and commitment demonstrated by the men and women of the LAFD.

UFLAC

LAFD firefighter's ear reattached after being severed in explosion during brush fire near Encino

A Los Angeles firefighter's ear has been surgically reattached after being severed in an explosion that occurred as he and his colleagues were responding to a brush fire near Encino. The injured firefighter, who has not been publicly identified, was initially listed in critical condition after the blast. He was later upgraded to stable condition and released from the hospital, officials said. Crews were called shortly after 1:30 p.m. Monday to a homeless encampment in the 15700 block of West Burbank Boulevard near the Sepulveda Basin Recreation Area, where a grass fire had ignited. Moments after first responders evacuated the area, a device near the encampment exploded, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. Crews on the scene halted the spread of the brush fire in about 30 minutes.

ABC7

Los Angeles church to be demolished after 2nd fire this week

An arson investigation is underway after the second fire this week left a church destroyed in the Chesterfield Square neighborhood of Los Angeles Thursday. Firefighters were called to the Holy Apostolic Pentecostal church in the 2100 block of West Slauson Avenue when the most recent blaze was reported just after 3:15 a.m. Thursday. Arriving crewmembers were forced into a defensive mode when they found heavy fire showing from the one-story commercial building. Video from the scene shortly after 4 a.m. showed firefighters trying to battle the flames from on top of the roof. The fire started in an adjacent vacant unit that shares a wall with the church. The adjacent unit contained a lot of furniture that caught fire before the flames spread and engulfed the church. It took firefighters more than an hour to extinguish the blaze.

KTLA5

Fire-prone building near Hollywood High School goes up in flames again

A two-story building in Hollywood caught fire on Tuesday morning, but it wasn’t the first time. Tuesday’s fire was reported around 6:30 a.m. in the 6900 block of Sunset Boulevard at a location that is the site of at least three previous burns, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. The building “looks like an abandoned structure,” KTLA 5’s Gil Leyvas said from Sky5; LAFD later confirmed that the building was indeed vacant. Firefighters could not access the site’s interior, instead fighting the flames defensively from the building’s perimeter as well as from the roofs of adjacent buildings. They looked to have the upper hand, Leyvas said, but were told to be wary of the structure’s rear wall collapsing. One person was being evaluated by paramedics on scene, fire officials stated. The person, identified as a 35-year-old woman, was transported to a local hospital with burn injuries, LAFD spokesperson Lyndsay Lentz told KTLA just before 1 p.m.

KTLA5

Hollywood home engulfed by dramatic fire, quickly extinguished by firefighters

A dramatic fire ripped through a single-story home in Hollywood, prompting a quick response from firefighters who knocked down the flames. The blaze erupted around 6 a.m. at a house in the 8100 block of West Clinton Street, just south of Melrose Avenue. Los Angeles Fire Department personnel were initially in defensive mode as they doused the burning home with water from hoses. Smoke was seen emanating from inside the structure as an adjacent yard also burned.

ABC7

Fire in Watts Apartment Displaces 10 Residents

A fire that damaged the upstairs unit of a two-story Watts duplex left 10 people without a place to live Saturday evening. The fire was reported at 8:46 p.m. Saturday at 10617 S. Wilmington Ave., according to the Los Angeles Fire Department’s Brian Humphrey. It was put out around 9:15 p.m. with no injuries. The American Red Cross was summoned to assist 10 displaced residents, Humphrey said.

MyNewsLA

Massive fire causes severe damage to home in Koreatown

A Koreatown home was severely damaged by a large fire early Friday morning. Firefighters were dispatched to the 950 block of S. Kenmore Avenue at around 10 a.m. after learning of the blaze at a home that was built back in 1901, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. It took crews just under 20 minutes to extinguish the fire, which was labeled as Greater Alarm because of the massive flames and smoke. One of the residents of the home attempted to run back into the home to rescue their 15-year-old dog, a Maltese named "Marty McFly," but was unable to make it back inside because of the intensity of the fire. However, when firefighters entered the home they were unable to find the dog, and learned that it had already made its way out.

CBSLA

Photo by Austin Gebhardt

Firefighters knock down brushfire off 101 Freeway in Hollywood Hills

Crews with the Los Angeles Fire Department knocked down a three-acre brushfire in the Hollywood Hills Sunday that prompted the closure of an exit off the southbound 101 Freeway. It took more than 100 firefighters a little less than two hours to stop the forward progress of the blaze at 2699 Cahuenga Boulevard, according to a LAFD news release. Crews responded to reports of the fire, which was just north of the John Anson Ford Amphitheater, at around 2:17 p.m. Officials said firefighting helicopters made strategic water drops at the head of the fire while crews on the ground got water on both flanks of the brusher, creating a containment perimeter.

KTLA5

Fire Involving Tires Stopped in El Sereno

It took 88 firefighters just over half an hour to put out an intense, greater-alarm fire involving tires outside an El Sereno business Saturday. The fire was reported about 5 p.m. Saturday at 5058 E. Valley Blvd., near CSULA, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department’s Brian Humphrey. It was out at 5:33 p.m. The flames threatened Cano’s Tires, an adjacent 675-square-foot business, but firefighters stopped the flames from spreading into the single-story building, Humphrey said.

MyNewsLA

Los Angeles Firefighters Rescue Two Cats from Pacoima Apartment Fire, No Human Injuries Reported

A fire erupted in an apartment kitchen in Pacoima, which firefighters were able to extinguish within just 13 minutes of arrival, the Los Angeles Fire Department reported; the blaze began on June 13th and was confined to the dishwasher in the second-floor kitchen of a townhome at 12601 W Van Nuys Bl. LAFD's alert noted that the fire caused no human injuries, though firefighters remained on-site searching for pets potentially affected by the smoke. Following their initial response, the firefighters continued with a methodical search of the residence and discovered two pet cats in distressed conditions as reported by LAFD's knockdown announcement; the firefighters acted swiftly to resuscitate the animals, providing medical oxygen and physical stimulation outdoors to restore their breathing and consciousness, despite the smoke-charged environment of the home they face the flames they managed to knock down the fire preventing further spread, according to LAFD alert.

Hoodline

LAFD Extinguishes Early Morning Brush Fire in Hollywood After Intensive 81-minute Operation

In the pre-dawn hours of June 17th, the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) responded to a brush fire at 7529 W Franklin Avenue in Hollywood. According to the LAFD website, firefighters battled a 20-foot by 20-foot vegetation fire that had engulfed grass, trees, and a nearby shed. The LAFD reported that "due to the location and access issues it took firefighters 81 minutes (4:42 am) to extinguish the flames," stating the challenges faced by the responders in navigating the terrain to put out the blaze, an LAFD Air Operations unit provided critical water drops which prevented the fire from spreading while ground crews worked to gain access to the affected area. There were no injuries reported related to the incident, and the cause of the fire is currently under investigation.

Hoodline

No Injuries as LAFD Extinguishes Midnight Blaze in Mid-City Los Angeles

In the early hours of June 19th, flames overtook a two-story single-family home in MidCity at 2016 S Rimpau Bl. The Los Angeles Fire Department responded to a call logged at 12:22 AM, with reports indicating a significant fire showing upon their arrival. The incident, documented under INC#0034 and detailed on the LAFD’s official website, required the swift intervention of multiple fire service resources. Crews from Fire Station 68, located within Council District 10, were first on the scene to confront the blaze. Despite the aggression of the fire, the Fire Department reported no injuries as a result of the incident, this affirmation of safety, a grim reminder of the ever-present dangers nesting within the hearths of our communal habitat. A total of 48 firefighters were deployed to tackle the fierce flames, managing to extinguish the fire in approximately 44 minutes.

Hoodline

Los Angeles Firefighters Swiftly Contain Sunland Brush Fire, No Structures Damaged

A brush fire that ignited in Sunland on June 21st was successfully contained by firefighters later the same day. The Los Angeles Fire Department, together with Los Angeles County and Angeles National Forest firefighters, responded to the incident near 11360 N Alethea Dr, which was initially reported to be less than one acre in size. According to the LAFD alert, the fire, referred to as the #NationalFire, was burning light-to-medium brush in a Mutual Threat Zone near the borders of the responding agencies' jurisdictions.

Hoodline

Flames Damage Room in Van Nuys House

Firefighters battled heavy flames Monday morning in one room of a single-story Van Nuys house.

The fire was reported at 1:43 a.m. at 6706 N. Blucher Ave. and flames were showing when firefighters arrived, said the Los Angeles Fire Department’s Nicholas Prange. Firefighters cut ventilation holes in the roof above the burning room which helped them put out the flames in 24 minutes, at 2:07 a.m., Prange said.

MyNewsLA

Firefighters Stop Shed Fire from Spreading to Pico-Union Home

Firefighters worked Monday morning to keep flames that engulfed a detached shed from spreading to a nearby apartment building in the Pico-Union area of Los Angeles. The fire was reported at 2:13 a.m. at 2255 W. 14th St., said the Los Angeles Fire Department’s Nicholas Prange. The 32 firefighters assigned to the blaze put out the flames in 23 minutes and kept them away from a three-story apartment building nearby, Prange said.

MyNewsLA

Los Angeles Firefighters Quickly Subdue Blaze at Vermont Knolls Apartment Building

A blaze that ignited at a two-story apartment building in Vermont Knolls was subdued early this morning. The structure, located at 7406 S Figueroa St, was previously the site of burns and this time, saw a fire blazing through its roof when firefighters arrived on the scene, as reported by the LAFD. Upon their arrival, the responding team of firefighters began combatting the flames from the outside, in what they describe as a "defensive mode," launching water from hose streams at the enveloping fire. The tactic, however, was a mere entry point to an "offensive mode" that saw the firefighters transitioning to an indoor operation to target the fire's core.

Hoodline

Fire Extinguished at Apartment in West Adams

Los Angeles Fire Department firefighters knocked down a fire in a second-floor unit at an apartment building in the West Adams area. Fire crews were called at 2:21 a.m. to 1935 S. La Salle Ave. near Washington Boulevard where they encountered an intense fire at the 29,000 square foot, three-story, 33-unit garden-style building, said LAFD spokesman Brian Humphrey. It took firefighters 32 minutes to extinguish the flames.

MyNewsLA

Los Angeles Firefighters Quickly Subdue Attic Blaze In Vacant Vermont-slauson Home

Los Angeles firefighters successfully battled a blaze at a vacant home on S Figueroa St in the Vermont-Slauson area, with flames erupting from the structure on June 25th. According to the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD), crews were dispatched at 5:07 PM to the one-story single-family dwelling, encountering moderate smoke and fire in the attic upon arrival. The responders, as is typical in such instances, opted for an offensive mode, executing a coordinated attack against the fire from both the roof and the building’s interior. After a swift and efficient response, the LAFD declared a knockdown of the fire within 20 minutes. A total of 42 firefighters were involved in extinguishing the fire, as reported by the LAFD.

Hoodline

Quick Knockdown by LAFD Contained North Barham Blvd Fire in Hollywood Hills, No Injuries Reported

Firefighters responded to a blaze in Hollywood Hills on Tuesday at a two-story fourplex on North Barham Boulevard. According to the Los Angeles Fire Department's alert, the incident occurred at approximately 5:33 PM, with smoke visible upon arrival. The precise location of the incident was 3322 N Barham Bl. The LAFD quickly moved to control the situation and was able to declare a "knockdown" of the fire within twenty-one minutes. A follow-up alert provided by LAFD stated that the firefighters found "a small fire involving contents only" with no structural damage imminent. Crews worked to extinguish this small fire and addressed the smoke within the building using blowers. During this incident, no injuries were reported.

Hoodline

Photo by OnScene.TV

2 dead, 1 injured after speeding car careens off freeway near LAX

Two men were killed and a third hospitalized after the car they were traveling in went off a freeway off-ramp and crash landed into parked cars below near Los Angeles International Airport on Saturday morning, June 22, authorities said. All three occupants were from Moreno Valley, California Highway Patrol officials said. Officers received a call of a traffic crash involving a vehicle going over the side of the westbound 105 Freeway off-ramp at Nash Street just before 3 a.m., the CHP said. They arrived to find a 2016 Lexus sedan and a Ford Mustang both overturned and Los Angeles Fire Department firefighters attempting to extricate multiple people out of the Lexus.

LA Daily News

1 dead, 1 rescued after falling off cliff in San Pedro

A person is dead and another injured after they fell off a cliff in San Pedro early Sunday morning. According to an alert sent out by the Los Angeles Fire Department, crews responded to Point Fermin Park on West Paseo Del Mar just before 1:45 a.m. and found one person dead near the bottom of the cliffs. “Firefighters set up a rope system to access, treat and remove the person,” LAFD officials stated, adding that they were taken to the hospital, however their condition was not immediately released.

KTLA5

Firefighters rescue man stuck in downtown LA building's chimney

Firefighters rescued a man who was stuck for nearly two hours Sunday inside the chimney of a four-story downtown Los Angeles apartment building. Video showed the man climbing down into the chimney like Santa Claus from the rooftop of the building in the 1300 block of South Flower Street. He appeared to hold onto a metal bar above the chimney before losing his grip. Firefighters used cameras to pinpoint the man's location in the chimney, which extended through all four stories of the building. LAFD Urban Search and Rescue crews broke through an interior wall and entered the shaft below the man. Rescuers were able to slide the man down the chimney to safety. The man, believed about 25 years old, was freed at about 10 p.m. He was hospitalized with moderate injuries.

NBC4

Helicopter Rescue Operation Successfully Hoists Injured Biker in Encino Near Mullholland Drive

An adult male mountain biker's afternoon ride took an abrupt turn Monday when he was injured on a remote trail in Encino. The Los Angeles Fire Department reported they deployed a rescue helicopter after locating the injured biker near a former Nike Missile Control Site, not far from Mulholland Drive and Mandeville Fire Road. LAFD's alert detailed that the incident, coded INC#1412, occurred at 6:31 PM. A flight paramedic was lowered to provide treatment and prepare the patient for a hoist operation.

Hoodline

Hiker Rescued at Topanga State Park

On Saturday, June 15, the Los Angeles Fire Department reported a hiker was rescued in Topanga State Park. Officials were alerted at 11:08 a.m. The LAFD ground and air team responded to a 72-year-old male hiker with head trauma after he fell on a remote section of the Backbone Trail near Rivas Canyon. An LAFD Rescue Helicopter lowered a Flight Paramedic to medically assess and stabilize the patient, who will soon be hoisted along with the LAFD Flight Paramedic into the hovering helicopter for continuing in-flight care during direct air transport to an area hospital.

Canyon News

Dehydrated Hiker, 55, Rescued in Pacific Palisades

A 55-year-old man was rescued from a trail in Pacific Palisades Saturday after becoming dehydrated while hiking in the heat, authorities said. Ground and air personnel responded to Temescal Ridge Trail at about 11:41 a.m. Saturday, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. The man was “unable to walk in hot weather near the conclusion of his journey on a remote section of the Temescal Ridge Trail,” the fire department said. An LAFD rescue helicopter lowered a paramedic to medically assess and stabilize the patient, who was then flown away for transport to an area hospital.

MyNewsLA

California wildfires have already burned 90,000 acres, and summer is just beginning

California’s summer is off to a fiery start after an explosion of wildfire activity across the state this week, with blazes stretching firefighting resources thin, forcing evacuations and scorching several homes, businesses and bone-dry hillsides. Perilous weather conditions in the last days of spring before Thursday — strong winds, low humidity and high temperatures — fueled flames from Los Angeles County to Colusa County north of Sacramento, with more than 30 wildfires igniting, including two of the state’s largest this year that each surpassed 15,000 acres in a matter of hours, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. The early boom in wildfires is casting new concerns about what the rest of 2024 will bring, especially with the hottest months ahead and another heat dome forecast for interior California this weekend.

LA Times

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, a national observance started in 1949 to bring attention to the importance of mental wellbeing. We can all help prevent suicide. The Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals in the United States.

988

Above & Beyond

Photo by Gary Apodaca

Eighteenth Annual LAFD Merit Scholarship Award Ceremony

Since 2007, Los Angeles Fire Department through the LAFD Scholarship Fund, has offered scholarships to the children of current, permanently disabled, or fallen LAFD firefighters. The merit-based awards are made available to students who have demonstrated excellence in academic studies, leadership and a distinction in extracurricular activity achievements. Of the approximately 3,500 LAFD employees, approximately 45 qualify as applicants and apply for the LAFDSF Merit Scholar Competition each year, yet only the top eight are selected as finalists with four receiving $7,500 grants each and the four Merit Scholar winners each receive up to $40,000. The Merit Scholar Awards are cash grants, that are made possible through the Jean Perkins Foundation.

LAFD

Photo by Gary Apodaca

LAFD Ceremony Salutes 73 Newly Promoted Members

The Los Angeles Fire Department is proud to honor the achievements of seventy-three LAFD uniformed and civilian members who have successfully completed the demanding process of promoting in rank or status within the Department. Expressing her pride in their accomplishments, City of Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin M. Crowley oversaw a formal promotion ceremony at the LAFD Frank Hotchkin Memorial Training Center in Elysian Park on Thursday, June 13, 2024. Click HERE for a list of personnel who were newly promoted.

LAFD

Events

Captain

Elwyn E. Moore

Deceased: 6/21/2024

Appointed: 4/8/1961

Assignment: FS 26

Retired: 7/29/1989

Firefighter III

Curtis A. Poet

Deceased: 6/16/2024

Appointed: 2/3/1958

Assignment: FS 16

Retired: 7/28/1983

Fireman

Donald C. Bayer

Deceased: 6/11/2024

Appointed: 7/24/1965

Assignment: FS 90

Retired: 7/29/1990

Fireman

John W. Nash

Deceased: 6/6/2024

Appointed: 4/8/1961

Assignment: FS 87

Retired: 6/29/1982

Fireman

Anthony R. Brandelli

Deceased: 6/5/2024

Appointed: 5/2/1950

Assignment: Fire Boat 2

Retired: 4/1/1959

Captain

Wesley E. Cox

Deceased: 5/29/2024

Appointed: 5/12/1962

Assignment: FS 88

Retired: 10/2/1987

Firefighter III

Charles R. Simpson

Deceased: 5/19/2024

Appointed: 5/14/1984

Assignment: FS 111

Retired: 7/10/2022

Engineer

Richard L. Garner

Deceased: 5/19/2024

Appointed: 6/16/1955

Assignment: FS 93

Retired: 6/1/1980

Captain II

Dennis L. Coville

Deceased: 5/3/2024

Appointed: 5/13/1972

Assignment: FS 98

Retired: 10/20/2002

ACTIVE DUTY

Firefighter I

Jacob I. Fuerte

Deceased: 4/15/2024

Appointed: 2/12/2024

Assignment: Drill Tower 81

Apparatus Operator

Fred R. Chovil

Deceased: 4/19/2024

Appointed: 2/3/1958

Assignment: FS 69

Retired: 2/6/1985

Firefighter III

Roberto S. Sanchez

Deceased: 4/15/2024

Appointed: 2/16/1975

Assignment: OCD

Retired: 7/5/2000

UFLAC’s 2023 LAFD Year In Review

UFLAC is proud to present the 2023 Los Angeles Fire Department Year in Review. UFLAC’s mission is to lead the way to protect and advocate for the health, safety, working conditions, wages and benefits of our members and their families. This publication tells the story of our dedicated First Responders who continued to protect lives and property in Los Angeles while risking their own safety during another extraordinary year. In 2021, our Firefighters and Paramedics responded to more than 475,000 emergency calls for service throughout Los Angeles - an average of 1,300 calls per day.

As an all-risk fire and rescue agency serving more than four million people, the LAFD is one of the busiest and most understaffed big city fire departments in the entire country. UFLAC is honored to help showcase the dedication and commitment demonstrated by the men and women of the LAFD. Click HERE to view the publication.