On Friday, April 7, 2006 at 4:45 p.m., nine companies of Los Angeles firefighters, four LAFD rescue ambulances, one arson unit, two EMS battalion captains, three battalion chief officer command teams, two Los Angeles County fire companies, and one division chief officer command team, under the direction of Battalion Chief Fred J. Mathis, responded to a greater alarm structure fire at 321 South Hamel Road in the PICO - Robertson area.
First units on the scene reported a two story apartment building with fire and heavy smoke showing from one unit on the second floor. Firefighters using handlines aggressively attacked the fire in the involved unit and extinguished it in 21 minutes. The fire was confined to the bedroom, bathroom and a portion of the attic. The residents of the eight-unit apartment building self-evacuated prior to the arrival of the Los Angeles Fire Department. As a result of the fire, one female, 16-years-old, was transported to Cedars-Sinai Hospital in good condition suffering from minor smoke inhalation. The American Red Cross was requested to assist two displaced occupants. There were no firefighter injuries and the cause of the fire is listed as “undetermined”. Fire damage is estimated at approximately $100,000. ($75,000 structure and $25,000 contents)