At 2123 Hours, 10 Companies of Los Angeles city firefighters, three rescue ambulances, two arson units, one EMS battalion captain, two battalion chief officer command teams, and one division chief officer command team all under the direction of Assistant Chief Roy Kozaki responded to a Structure Fire at 458 1/2 W. 52nd St. in the Exposition Park/Coliseum area.
First arriving firefighters were confronted with a two-story, four-plex, apartment building with heavy fire showing from both units on the second floor. Firefighters quickly initiated an aggressive interior fire attack in coordination with firefighters conducting simultaneous ventilation operations on the roof. Additional firefighters began providing first aid to a critically injured civilian found lying on the sidewalk in front of the building.
As firefighters were extinguishing the fire, one female was found in the bathroom area. Unfortunately, she had perished and was determined to be deceased at the scene. The second patient was transported by rescue ambulance to Good Samaritan Hospital in serious condition with hand burns and respiratory involvement. One firefighter was subsequently transported to Sherman Oaks Hospital in good condition with first-degree burns to his left hand. The cause of the fire is under investigation. The dollar loss is still being tabulated.