Major Emergency Structure Fire in Downtown Los Angeles

Dec. 13, 2005
It took Los Angeles Firefighters close to two hours to knock down an intense blaze that ran through a 100 by 300 ft. one story commercial warehouse housing fabrics in downtown Los Angeles.

It took Los Angeles Firefighters close to two hours to knock down an intense blaze that ran through a 100 by 300 ft. one story commercial warehouse housing fabrics in downtown Los Angeles.

L.A. Battalion One, Task Force 17 first on scene of "Swinstar Inc. Transworld Luggage" reported heavy smoke with fire showing from the roof requesting three additional Task Forces on top of the original assignment (An L.A. Task Force consists of two engines and a truck. An "original assignment" also known as a "B assignment" consists of a Battalion Chief, EMS supervisor, two Task Forces, a rescue ambulance and an additional Engine. Squad 4 is also added to responses in the downtown L.A. area).

Firefighters made entry through the front of the structure cutting through a metal roll down gate and door, advancing handlines to the seat of the blaze in the rear of the building.

Firefighters on the inside encountered a heavy fire load with thick hot smoke conditions.

Firefighters on the roof were also encountering heavy fire conditions and were ordered off the roof and out of the building.

Firefighters set up on the roofs of adjacent one story commercials and set up the trucks companies for a "master streams" attack.

Numerous handlines, a wagon battery and several ladder pipes darkened down the blaze as firefighters remained on scene for several additional hours knocking down hot spots.

A tractor company was called in to assist in the overhaul.

In all, over to 140 firefighters manning twenty-seven companies responded to the scene.

The were no reported injuries, damage was extensive, the cause of the late evening blaze is under investigation.

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