On September 24, 2004, Los Angeles Firefighters responded to a deadly fire involving two-story apartments over a commercial building at 1415 West Slauson Avenue in South Los Angeles. The structure contained six small apartment units above a moving/storage business.
While firefighters were enroute, the dispatcher notified responding companies of reports of persons trapped in their apartments on the second floor.
Firefighters first on scene took quick action throwing ladders and cutting iron security bars off the windows with rotary saws. Firefighters rescued several persons from the front of the building and one person from the rear of the building.
The fire involved the second floor hallway and one unit in the rear, sending thick dark smoke throughout the building, blocking the occupants escape through the front.
Firefighters had the main bulk of fire knocked down in 15 minutes, the fire was under control 20 minutes later.
In all, firefighters rescued six people, four of them were transported to local area hospitals with injuries ranging from minor to critical. Two persons refused transport. One victim was pulled out not breathing, with no pulse and was declared deceased at the hospital.
Damage to the second floor was extensive, the cause of the late night blaze is under investigation.
