Firefighters in San Pedro were called to the scene of a blaze that engulfed a two-story duplex on Wednesday afternoon. The Los Angeles Fire Department reported heavy fire showing from what appeared to be a vacant building at the 200 block of W. Sepulveda Street. The incident, logged as INC#1386, prompted an aggressive attack by fire crews.
According to the LAFD alert, the fire was ongoing at approximately 4:46 p.m. An array of units, including battalion chiefs and emergency medical services, were dispatched to the scene in an effort to quickly bring the situation under control. These units worked collectively in what is described as offensive mode to contain the inferno.
The situation took a turn for the better when a subsequent alert announced the knockdown of the fire. In just 16 minutes, 32 firefighters heroically managed to access, confine, and extinguish the flames, preventing them from spreading to the adjacent unit in the duplex. The success of the operations was in part due to a transitional attack, where crews initially tackled the fire from the outside before moving in, as well as strategic vertical ventilation provided by those positioned on the roof.
"Ultimately, it took 32 firefighters 16 minutes to access, confine, and extinguish the flames, before any fire reached the other unit in the duplex," stated the LAFD in its report. Fortunately, there were no injuries reported as a result of the fire. The exact cause of the blaze remains yet to be determined and is currently under investigation by the authorities. The LAFD ensured the situation was handled efficiently, preventing what could have potentially been a more devastating event.
