A blaze of intensity tore through a Sylmar neighborhood yesterday, leaving behind a charred landscape. In the wake of the inferno, two adults and a faithful canine companion are no more, their lives snuffed out as scores of rounds of ammunition added fuel to the ferocious flames, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.
The Los Angeles Fire Department began receiving urgent 9-1-1 calls at 4:42 a.m. about a structure fire mercilessly consuming the area near Glenoaks Boulevard and Foothill Boulevard. The LAFD crews who dared approach the blaze encountered not just fire but what sounded like a battlefield chorus of bullets popping in the heat at 13755 Glenoaks Boulevard, further complicating the already perilous conditions, as reported by the LAFD news release.
In an impressive display of discipline and swiftness, the firefighters shifted tactics to a defensive approach, unleashing torrents of water from a safe distance to combat the flames. The arrival of additional first responders heralded a wealth of local intelligence—neighbors pouring out eyewitness accounts and concerns that might illuminate the hazards nestled within the fiery pandemonium.
Assistant Chief Steve Hissong and his battalion of firefighters quelled the conflagration across three buildings in just 71 minutes, despite being up against the backdrop of what sounded like thousands of rounds of ammunition detonating amidst the blaze. In the aftermath, as the smoky veil lifted, the responders were confronted with the somber discovery of the deceased: an adult female in a swimming pool, an adult male, and their canine companion amid the rubble, as detailed in the LAFD press release. Miraculously, however, no emergency personnel fell victim to the inferno or the gunshot-like sounds.
Subsequently, the LAPD Bomb Squad made their entrance onto the catastrophic scene, navigating the precarious remains to assess the presence of ballistic ordnance. The LAPD’s Metropolitan Division Underwater Dive Unit was also called upon to perform the grim task of retrieving the woman from the pool.
As the LAFD steps back, its Arson Investigators sharpen their focus on the enigma of the blaze's origin. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Police Department shall lead the comprehensive investigation, as they collaborate with the County of Los Angeles Medical Examiner's office to unravel the thread of these tragic deaths.
