A routine afternoon on Santa Monica Boulevard turned chaotic Wednesday when a work truck suddenly caught fire at the corner of Santa Monica Boulevard and Formosa Avenue in West Hollywood. Flames tore through at least half the vehicle as thick, chemical-smelling smoke poured into nearby apartments, leading to street closures and people being turned away from their own buildings.
Witnesses said the fire ignited while a man was filling a tank attached to a pressure washer on the truck. The tank caught, the fire spread fast, and the worker was injured in the process. Onlookers reported he suffered burns to his hand and face as the truck continued to burn.
According to WEHOonline, firefighters arrived to find fuel leaking from the truck’s tank and had a tough time knocking the blaze down. One witness said a 911 call initially dropped and that it felt like it took some time for responders to get there, adding to the tension on the street as the truck kept burning and the smoke thickened.
Crews paused water to avoid spreading burning fuel
A Los Angeles County Fire Department captain at the scene told WEHOonline that the situation was trickier than a standard vehicle fire. “The fuel was burning as it ran down the street, and water was not stopping it,” the captain said. Crews halted their water streams when it became clear the runoff was actually carrying burning fuel farther away from the truck.
Officials weighed letting the flames burn while they worked to control the fuel source, a tactic that lines up with hazardous-materials guidance. Federal emergency-response manuals warn that spraying water directly at a flowing pool of gasoline can push burning liquid into new areas and suggest foam or more defensive tactics in some scenarios. The ERG 2020 specifically cautions that contaminated runoff can create extra hazards and advises against directing water at the source of a fuel leak.
Smoke and closures hit nearby homes
While crews wrestled with the fire, authorities shut down Formosa Avenue in both directions near the intersection, cutting off access to the area. Residents said they were blocked from getting back into nearby buildings and left waiting on the street while the scene unfolded.
One resident parked near 1122 Formosa Avenue said she was anxious to check on her pets and had to dash upstairs just to slam shut open windows after smoke drifted into her unit. Neighbors described the odor hanging in the air as “awful chemicals” and said they were rattled by loud popping sounds coming from the truck as it burned.
Officials have not yet released an update on the injured worker’s condition, and it is still unclear whether the truck’s owner will face any citations. The incident remains under investigation, and WEHOonline reports the story is developing and will be updated as more information comes in.
