A brush fire erupted in the Sepulveda Basin on Monday, leading to the injury of eleven Los Angeles city firefighters, one of them seriously. The Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) responded to reports of the fire at approximately 1:30 p.m. near 15700 W Burbank Bl. As they arrived, an explosion occurred in a nearby homeless encampment, injuring firefighters, according to LAFD reports.

An existing device, which resembled a grenade, exploded just after evacuating the encampment, severely injuring one firefighter with burns to his face and ear, as per an ABC7 report. Transported to Northridge Hospital by air ambulance, the firefighter's injuries were later reported as serious but not life-threatening. The rest of the injured LAFD personnel have been released from the hospital, and the firefighter critically injured will need continuing care.

The firefight, involving 80 men and women of the LAFD, was able to halt the brush fire's spread in under thirty minutes, as noted in a follow-up statement by LAFD. A safety message was also issued later in the day by LAFD and LAPD, requesting news helicopters to maintain a 1.5-mile perimeter to allow drones to aid in the investigation of the blast site, officials stated.

LAPD officials informed KTLA that alongside the initial explosive device, there were multiple suspicious devices found, which delayed fire crew efforts to extinguish residual hot spots, as they recounted by KTLA. The union representing L.A. firefighters, Capt. Freddy Escobar expressed his frustration over the dangers homeless encampments pose to firefighters and city residents. "It was caused by the homeless and we nearly lost a firefighter over this," Escobar told KTLA. The fire, though contained quickly to a quarter of an acre, its cause still remains under investigation.

Meanwhile, the LAFD made use of their firefighting helicopter to target stubborn flames from above, rather than risking personnel amid the presence of undetermined devices. LAPD's bomb squad and major crimes division have joined the multi-agency efforts to inspect and secure the site, as reported by the KTLA interview with Deputy Chief Ruby Flores. As the investigation progresses, the LAFD continues to review safety protocols to prevent similar incidents in the future.