On Thursday, April 20, 2006 at 8:31 a.m., four companies of Los Angeles firefighters, two LAFD rescue ambulances, one heavy rescue, three arson units, one EMS battalion captain and one battalion chief officer command team under the direction of Battalion Chief John Biggs responded to a vehicle fire with civilian burn injuries at 512 West Rosecrans Avenue in the city’s Harbor Gateway area near Gardena.
Firefighters responded quickly to initial reports of a bus fire with at least one person trapped. Arriving in an alley to the rear of a commercial upholstery firm, firefighters learned that two workers had escaped a full-sized privately-owned charter bus that was well involved with fire.
The first arriving paramedic staffed engine company prevented the fire from extending to the nearby buildings and an adjacent oil well as their crew were soon joined by others in promptly caring for the two seriously burned men.
The fire was confined to the bus and extinguished in less than ten minutes without firefighter injury.
Burned prior to the fire department’s arrival were a 42 year-old male with second- and third-degree burns to more than 60% of his body, including circumferential head, arm, and hand injuries as well as full back, calf and ankle burns. In critical condition, he was taken to the Torrance Memorial Medical Center, which hosts a specialized Burn Unit.
His 37 year-old colleague sustained second- and third-degree burns to more than 12% of his body, including his head, face, neck and arms. He was transported to the Harbor-UCLA Medical Center in serious condition.
According to witnesses, the men were dealing with adhesives during renovation of the bus, and may have intermittently used a hand-held propane torch and solvents.
The value of the bus, which was destroyed by the blaze, is still being tabulated. The incident remains under active investigation by fire department and Cal-OSHA officials.