On Sunday, July 2, 2006 at 4:24 p.m., 13 companies of Los Angeles firefighters, seven LAFD rescue ambulances, one arson unit, one urban search and rescue unit, one hazardous materials squad, one EMS battalion captain, six battalion chief officer command teams and one division chief officer command team under the direction of Assistant Chief Curtis James responded to a Greater Alarm Structure Fire at 14140 Ventura Boulevard in Sherman Oaks.
The first company arrived quickly to discover a large column of heavy smoke showing from the roof of a 150' x 150' three-story modern office building.
A trio of aerial ladders were extended to the roof as firefighters secured the lobby and stairwells of the structure, making their way briskly up the interior and exterior of the sealed building to find heavy fire burning in and near rooftop air conditioning equipment.
Nearly two-dozen of the 103 firefighters at scene made coordinated entry into upper floor offices and with tremendous care, pulled the suspended ceiling to check for fire extension, as their colleagues raised several hoselines to the roof to confine the flames.
The stubborn fire was confined to the rooftop and topside equipment and extinguished in just 31 minutes. There were no injuries.
Loss from the blaze is estimated at $201,000 ($200,000 structure & $1,000 contents). The cause of this fire remains undetermined.