A two-story commercial building suffered extensive fire damage in downtown Los Angeles on Friday, October 30, 2020.
LAFD Fire personnel and assets were dispatched to a 2-story commercial building located in the 800 block of south San Julian Street (later address changed to the 900 block of the same address).
First due arriving units reported heavy pressurized smoke showing from the rooftop around 2003 hours PT.
The first due units (initial dispatched resources) were FS9, B1, Council District 14, BC1, BC11, E209, E210, E4, E9, RA209, RA809, SQ21, T10, T9, CH9, CH13.
A Greater Alarm structure fire was escalated at 2023 PT with reports of the building being a one-story with a possible upper mezzanine, concrete tilt-up construction and a size-up of 100′ x 200′. Firefighters were in offensive fire strategy with a heavy interior fire.
Greater Alarm units dispatched were BC18, BC5, CM22, E10, E15, E203, E209, E210, E211, E220, E221, E3, EA1, EM1, EM13, HR3, RA10, CH14.
About 15 minutes later (2036 PT), firefighters were in a defensive fire strategy. The interior operations team made it deep inside the structure and was unable to locate any fire. It appeared to be overhead in a possible mezzanine of the building.
Due to rapidly poor conditions, all members were pulled from the interior and rooftop operations and immediately exit the building. Initially, Command had an unconfirmed report this structure was housing a fabric buisness.
Additional Units dispatched at 2036 PT were: RA3, RA4, RA803, RA9, T11, T20, T21, T21, T3, UR3, UR5, and UR88.
At 2202 PT, the address changed to 917 South San Julian Street, where fire fighters returned to offensive fire strategy and making enough suppression to re-enter the interior of the structure. This was to enable them to reach the remaining hot spots inaccessible by the master streams from the exterior sides.
One firefighter was transported due to a heat related illness and was said to be in fair condition.
Units working and on-scene were BC1, BC11, BC18, BC5, CM22, E10, E15, E203, E209, E210, E211, E220, E221, E3, E4, E5, E9, EA1, EM1, EM13, EM9, HE1, HR3, PI1, RA10, RA14, RA209, RA3, RA4, RA803, RA809, RA9, RS3, SQ21, T10, T11, T20, T21, T3, T9, UR3, UR5, UR88, CH9, CH13, CH14.
In the end of this incident, it would take 109 firefighters to knockdown this stubborn fire around 2213 PT. It would take them 2 hours and 9 minutes to extinguish this blaze.
Fire personnel will remain on-scene throughout the night for overhaul operations and fire watch to ensure no rekindling.
Units still on-scene are: AR1, BC1, BC11, BC18, BC5, CM22, E10, E15, E203, E209, E210, E211, E220, E221, E3, E4, E5, E9, EA1, EM1, EM13, EM9, HE1, HR3, PI1, RA10, RA14, RA209, RA3, RA4, RA803, RA809, RA9, RS3, SQ21, T10, T11, T20, T21, T3, T9, UR3, UR5, UR88, CH9, CH13, CH14.
The LAFD Arson Section is investigating this fire.
ABOUT THIS STRUCTURE
This is a commercial structure that has three different bays and currently being used as a store building built in 1975. It is located in the industrial neighborhood of Moran, a subdivision inside the Los Angeles city limits.
It boasts over 10,000 square feet and is nestled in between several other large commercial structures nearby.
(c) 2020 NW Fire Blog – Updated 10/31/2020 01:15 PT
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