1 Person Dies In Los Angeles Commercial Fire

On Wednesday, May 21, 2008 at 9:21 PM, 7 Companies of Los Angeles Firefighters, 3 LAFD Rescue Ambulances, 1 Arson Unit, 2 EMS Battalion Captains, 1 Battalion Chief Officer Command Team, 1 Division Chief Officer Command Team, under the direction of Battalion Chief Antoine McKnight responded to a Structure Fire With A Civilian Fatality at 5720 S. Fortuna St. in South Los Angeles.

Firefighters arrived to find fire showing from a small commercial building. Due to moderate winds, the fire was being pushed towards a larger commercial building and several homes. Firefighters began an aggressive attack on the fire while fellow firefighters protected the adjacent buildings. It took 30 Firefighters just under 30 minutes to control the fire. After the fire was knocked down, the body of a female in her 40’s was discovered and declared deceased at the scene.

A 40 year-old male suffered burns to his arms and a 17 year-old complained of smoke related problems. Both patients were transported to local hospitals for care. The cause of the fire and the circumstances surrounding the fatality are under investigation. The dollar loss is still being tabulated.

Written by Ron Myers, Spokesman
Los Angeles Fire Department