Five Los Angeles firefighters were rushed to the hospital with facial and extremity burns after a fierce blaze tore through a downtown industrial building linked to an unlicensed cannabis operation on Saturday morning. The Los Angeles Fire Department was called to the scene at 1400 East Newton Street in the Central Industrial District around 8:00 a.m., as reported by LAFD News. Upon arrival, crews were met with flames bursting through the roof of the two-story structure. Trapped five firefighters, a wind shift caused them to be enveloped by a caustic mist identified as sulfuric acid, causing a burning sensation to their skin.
The firefighting effort required 145 LAFD personnel and, despite the dangerous conditions, was declared a knockdown within 56 minutes of largely defensive operations. The 69-year-old building heavily damaged during the incident. After the initial attack, they reported one additional firefighter experiencing the burning sensation, bringing the total number of injured to five, though all are expected to return to duty soon. No civilians were harmed, and a multi-hour search by cadaver detection canine teams resulted in no findings of human remains. These events were corroborated by LAFD alerts and updates.
Initial reports from the fire department indicated that the building housed a cannabis operation, though it was not permitted legally, as outlined in a statement from the LAFD. The incident is currently under investigation to determine the specific cause of the fire, which resulted in an undisclosed amount of monetary loss.
Assistant Chief Melford Beard, overseeing the response, commended the efforts of the LAFD responders in extinguishing the flames under challenging conditions. The community breathed a sigh of relief when no victims were discovered following the canine search, as there were fears that individuals might have been inside the building when the fire started. Despite no human remains being found, firefighters injured in fair condition were quickly attended to at a nearby hospital and later released to secondary care. Details from LAFD alerts affirmed the absence of escalating or off-site hazards.
