LAFD - Major Emergency Fire at Pacoima Middle School

On Sunday, October 5, 2008 at 4:20 PM, 17 Companies of Los Angeles Firefighters, 5 LAFD Rescue Ambulances, 1 Arson Unit, 2 Urban Search and Rescue Units, 1 Rehab Unit, 1 Hazardous Materials Team, 2 EMS Battalion Captains, 4 Battalion Chief Officer Command Teams, 1 Division Chief Officer Command Team, L.A. Unified School Police and DWP, under the direction of Assistant Chief Don Frazeur, responded to a Structure Fire at 9919 Laurel Canyon Bl. in the San Fernando area.

Firefighters were dispatched to a reported structure fire at Pacoima Middle School. The first arriving Firefighters on scene found a moderate amount of smoke coming from the front of the auditorium. As Firefighters made entry into the structure to advance handlines, they found a small amount of fire located approximately 20 feet inside the building. The roof team initiated a fierce ventilation effort to relieve the interior Firefighters from the heavy smoke that had built up inside the structure. After the initial knockdown of fire at the entrance of the building, the fire attack team ventured deeper inside the structure to locate the remaining bulk of fire.

It took approximately 122 Firefighters 1 hour and 19 minutes before a knock down was called. The sprinkler system had been activated, causing a large de-watering operation. The school auditorium suffered significant smoke, fire and water damage. The damage is estimated to be $2,000,000 [$1,500,000 structure, $500,000 contents], while the cause will not be determined until the completion of the fire investigation. No injuries were reported.

Written by d’Lisa Davies
Los Angeles Fire Department / Photos by Chris Yarzab