Recently in fire Category

Scan America has a link to live audio from the front lines of the fire fight in the San Fernando Valley. Much of the traffic is Verdugo dispatch and Los Angeles County Fire. Here's a direct link to the audio.

Here's the photo caption:

Vehicles burn early Monday morning, Oct. 13, 2008,  after intense Santa Ana winds  whipped up a 3,700-acre wildfire. (AP Photo/Mike Meadows)

Here's the latest from the Associated Press on the Marek Fire:

LOS ANGELES (AP) _ Two wildfires driven by strong Santa Ana winds threatened neighborhoods on the edges of the San Fernando Valley on Monday, killing one person, destroying several dozen mobile homes and forcing evacuations.

Firefighters were struggling with a 3,700-acre blaze in the Sylmar area in the valley's northeastern corner when a new blaze erupted at midmorning a few miles to the west in mountains above the Porter Ranch area and quickly grew to 500 acres.

"It is a blowtorch we can't get in front of," said Los Angeles County fire Inspector Frank Garrido.

Fire officials could not immediately estimate how many homes in Porter Ranch were in the fire's path. Flames burned furiously at midday just across a road from one development of luxury homes.

The fatality occurred at the so-called Marek Fire burning in the Sylmar area. where neighborhoods abut rugged canyonlands below the mountainous Angeles National forest. The victim was a man who appeared to be a transient living with a dog in a makeshift shelter, officials said.

An estimated 1,200 people were evacuated due to the Marek Fire, which was just 5 percent contained.

Inciweb now indicates the Little Tujunga fire has spread to 2066 acres. Here's the latest AP story:

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Firefighters backed by water-dumping helicopters and planes gained ground Sunday on a wildfire that destroyed two homes and forced the evacuation of about 1,200 people in a rugged area 20 miles north of downtown. The blaze charred up to 750 acres and also burned a garage, several sheds and three motor homes, said Los Angeles County Fire Department spokesman Ron Haralson. No one was seriously injured, but a firefighter and one resident reported minor breathing problems.

Here's what AP is reporting about the 750 acre fire near Sunland and little Tujunga:

LOS ANGELES (AP) _ Firefighters backed by water-dumping helicopters and planes gained ground Sunday on a wildfire that destroyed two homes and forced the evacuation of about 1,200 people in a rugged area 20 miles north of downtown.
Los Angeles County Fire Department spokesman Ron Haralson said the blaze charred up to 750 acres and also burned a garage, several sheds and three motor homes.
No one was seriously injured. A firefighter and one resident reported minor breathing problems.
Haralson said firefighters are "getting a really good handle" on the blaze that started early. Sunday. But powerful Santa Ana winds are expected to arrive in the evening, and gusts could spread embers igniting brush, grass and chaparral in the area.
About 450 homes were evacuated early Sunday when the blaze moved southeast toward city limits, said U.S. Forest Service spokesman Stanton Florea.
"It burned right down to a couple of neighborhoods," Florea said.
The fire was burning south of the Wildlife Waystation, an animal sanctuary and rehabilitation facility set on 160 acres. The nonprofit agency houses more than 400 animals, including lions, bears and deer. Officials were loading up the animals in case the fire switched direction.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Firefighters from the Los Angeles County Fire Department battle the wildfire in the Angeles National Forest near Los Angeles on Sunday, Oct. 12, 2008. Los Angeles County Fire Department spokesman Ron Haralson says the blaze has charred up to 750 acres in the rugged area of Little Tujunga Canyon, about 20 miles north of downtown. (AP Photo/Dan Steinberg)

This from LAist:

A fire aided by overnight winds broke out around 2 this morning in Little Tujunga Canyon and has already claimed 500 acres of brush and has forced the evacuation of about 1,200 nearby residents. Mandatory evacuations are currently in effect in Kagel Canyon, Lopez Canyon, and Little Tujunga Canyon. Residents of nearby Lakeview Terrace are on the ready, but are not required to evacuate as of yet. 

*As of 9 a.m. Inciweb has raised the number of affected acres to 600. The fire is reportedly 5 percent contained. This is known as the Marek Wildland Fire. The cause remains under investigation. A total of 900 firefighters have been dispatched to the scene of the blaze.

SANTA FE SPRINGS -- A person was hospitalized with burns Sunday after a propane tank fire, according to police, however few details are available as the fire department did not provide any information.

The incident was reported about 3:30 p.m. in the 10900 block of Gard Avenue, Whittier police Lt. Steve Dean said.

The injured person was believed to be trying to put out the fire, he said.

Several nearby homes were evacuated as firefighters worked on the blaze, Dean said.

A dispatcher at the Santa Fe Springs Fire Department refused to give out a direct phone number to the handling station, or even to pass along a reporter's phone number to fire officials. She also said the department has no public information officer, and that there was simply no way for the department to release information on the incident Sunday.

What happens in Santa Fe Springs stays in Santa Fe Springs, I guess.

Firefighters from several local agencies left for Mariposa County Sunday to help officials there battle the "Telegraph Fire," officials said.
A strike team led by Pasadena Fire Department Battalion Chief Scott Dandridge was called to the fire Sunday afternoon, Pasadena Fire Department spokeswoman Lisa Derderian said.
The strike team includes one engine from the Pasadena Fire Department, two engines from the Glendale Fire Department, one engine from the Monrovia Fire Department and one engine from the Monterey Park Fire Department, Derderian said.
The fast-spreading blaze has charred more than 18,000 acres since Friday as wooded slopes ignited amid hot, dry conditions that have plagued California for months. The fire was completely uncontained Sunday morning.
The wildfire led officials to order the evacuations of 170 homes under immediate threat. About 2,000 homes faced at least some danger from the fast-spreading flames.
Most of the evacuated homes are in the town of Midpines, located along Highway 140, about 12 miles from the park.
Cal Fire spokesman Daniel Berlant said the southern edge of the blaze was as little as two miles from Mariposa, a town of about 1,800 residents.

Pasadena police have questioned three youths in connection with the Friday afternoon fire above Hastings Ranch.

There has been no arrests. The three were seen leaving the scene as soon smoke appeared.

No further information was available.

 *Three youths are reportedly now in custody according to one of our wire services.  We are confirming the story. (As of 5:46 p.m.) They are juveniles.

** From interview at 5:52 p.m. with Pasadena Fire Spokeswoman Lisa Derderian .. the youths were not residents of the area . . still trying to determine the origin a neighbor called it in great description and PPD were on it right away. . . .

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The Board of Supervisors doubled the $10,00 reward being offered for information in the slaying of a 90-year-old Altadena woman. This comes from one of our wire services:

The reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction was originally posted a
few days after the body of Evelyn Mosely was found on May 8 in her home, which had
been deliberately set on fire.

Firefighters who quickly extinguished the blaze at 3225 Lincoln Ave. discovered her
body in the kitchen, and investigators found signs of a struggle.

A housekeeper was booked on suspicion of murder hours later but was quickly exonerated and set free.

Anyone with information about Mosely's death was asked to call sheriff's homicide Lt.
Liam Gallagher at (323) 890-5500.

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Another blast from the Tribune crime archives. This story was published Dec. 6, 1968.

TORCH DEATH

Youth Faces Murder Trial

A 19-year-old West Covina youth will go on trial for murder Feb 17. accused  of throwing a lighted match on the gasoline-soaked clothing of a customer last Aug. 25 at the filling station where he worked.

Presiding Judge Carlos N. Teran of Pomona Superior Court set the trial date this week for Frederick A. Steiner of 3526 Holt Ave.

Steiner is charged with murdering Kenneth Kinsley, 20 of 4702 N. Harlan Ave,

Prosecutors charge that Steiner squirted gasoline on Kinsley during an argument at the station at 3202 Baldwin Park Blvd., after Kinsley  refused to pay for two of three cans of transmission fluid. The first two leaked out of the car.

When Kinsley returned from washing in the station rest room and grabbed a tire iron, more argument erupted. About this point, Steiner allegedly threw the match on Kinsley, igniting his clothing.

The victim died five days later in County General Hospital of third and second degree burns on 60 percent of his body. He was married and the father of two children.

 

 

This from the Associated Press:

Nearly 30 firefighters have extinguished a restaurant fire in South El Monte.

A spokesman for the Los Angeles County Fire Department told KTLA-TV that the fire at Cafe Azteca on Rush Street was reported shortly before 5 a.m. Wednesday

Early commuters on the Pomona (60) Freeway to the south and the San Bernardino (10) Freeway to the north could see smoke and flames from the blaze.

Firefighters appeared to have the fire extinguished by 5:30 a.m.

To: News Room
From: Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna, Verdugo Fire Academy Glendale, Ca.

 

At approximately 9:45 a.m. on Saturday June 7th, I was traveling on the West Bound 210 freeway approximately 1/4 mile before the 605 interchange. I noticed a light bit of smoke developing.

 

I pulled to the right and noticed a semi-truck overturned becoming well involved with fire. I stopped to attempt what appeared to be an obvious trapped person in the burning truck. Never in my 28 year career did I witness the occupant stumbling around in shock with
multiple cuts, abrasions and burns with possible broken bones.

I got the victim to a safe location and started administering first aid. The truck was becoming more involved with fire. I called Los Angeles County Fire Dispatch Center who advised me units were en route.

Apparently the victim kicked out the windshield and jumped approximately 20 feet into a storm drain (the truck flew off the high interchange (approximately 30 feet) of the 210/605 freeway and landed on the Mount Olive Drive exit. Had he missed the Mount Olive Drive he
would have fallen another 30 feet into the storm drains on both sides.

This gentlemen is certainly lucky to be alive!

Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna