Elderly Couple Killed In Early Morning Blaze
By JJohnson | March 8, 2010
At 2:30 am this morning, units from the Long Beach Fire Department responded to a smoke investigation call at the corner of 5th Street and Grand Avenue. Engine 4 was on scene within 2 minutes and reported heavy fire and smoke coming from both the front and side of the single story home. They quickly radioed to our dispatch and “Pulled the Hook” which is a term the LBFD uses to turn this incident a full structure fire response. Engine 4 kept the fire from spreading to the home next door while the other units arrived shortly after the call for additional resources was made. Engine 8 was next on scene along with Engine 2 and they began an aggressive fire attack and search for victims. Truck 1 along with Light Force 14 went to the roof to ventilate the house to make it easier for the crews down below. Rescue 14, Rescue 10 and Battalion 2 were also on scene.
Due to the time of the call, there was a greater risk of people inside sleeping or trapped. Crews did encounter “Pack-Rat” conditions which made extinguishment much more difficult. It took crews about 20 minutes to knock down the fire. Unfortunately there was an elderly male and elderly female who were rescued from the house, but were pronounced dead on scene. Also 1 cat died in this fire, but a dog who was taken by animal control appeared okay. There were 30 total firefighters involved with this fire. 1 firefighter injured his back, however his injuries didn’t require any medical care.
The fire is under investigation at this time.
Units on scene: E4, E2, E8, LF14, R14, R10, T1, BC2, PIO4
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Pedestrian Struck By Light Rail
By Jackawa Jackson | March 3, 2010
Just after 8:30 on the morning of March 3, 2010, Long Beach Fire Department units responded to the corner of 1st Street and Long Beach Blvd to a report of a pedestrian who had been struck by the light rail. Engine 1 arrived on scene to find a female, who appeared to be in her 40’s, pinned beneath the train. All rail traffic as well as vehicle traffic was shut down to this area of Long Beach Blvd. It took fire crews, including the Long Beach Urban Search and Rescue Team, approximately 10 minutes to remove the injured patient from beneath the train. She was transported in critical condition to a local hospital with severe head trauma. It is unclear, at this time, how the woman ended up on the tracks. The cause of this accident is currently under investigation.
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Long Beach Crash Units Plug A Fuel Leak On A C17
By Jackawa Jackson | March 1, 2010
At 5:21 pm on the evening of February 19, 2010, Long Beach Fire Department units responded to a C-17 with a fuel leak from a malfunctioning fuel ditching valve. The plane was in flight at the time of the emergency although no fire was reported. The aircraft landed safely and all flight crewmembers were evacuated without injury. LBFD crash units, T7 and Boeing Fire units provided spill containment and plugged the fuel leak, utilizing highly specialized equipment, making it possible to tow the aircraft back to the Boeing facility for repairs. There was approximately 75-100 gallons of Jet-A Fuel that had leaked onto Taxiway Bravo at Delta. The scene was turned over to Boeing Fire and Airport Security for further cleanup of the spill area. Boeing Co. had their own private environmental company that was to perform the clean up. A total of 23 apparatus and 51 personnel initially responded to this call.
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New Hurst Tool Training
By Jackawa Jackson | March 1, 2010
Over the course of three days, more than 65 members of the Long Beach Fire Department were trained in the use of the new extrication equipment (Jaws of Life) purchased over the last few months. The new equipment was necessary because newer cars use exotic metals like Boron alloy and high strength steel to keep them lightweight but still meet crash test standards. The old equipment the department used was designed to cut light weigh steel and aluminum. Crews had to find alternative locations to cut vehicle that had these high strength materials because the old cutter simply would not cut them. Thanks to the efforts of Engineer Eddie Smith and the trainers from L.N.Curtis & Sons (sales) and Hurst, (manufacturer) the Long Beach Fire Department now has the ability to cut through almost any material the auto industry can throw our way for the next few years.
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Tsunami Activity In The Long Beach Downtown Marina
By Steve Berger | March 1, 2010
Video shot off of one of the LB Rescue Boats on Sat Feb. 27th at approximately12:30 PM.
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LBFD Badge Ceremony
By JJohnson | February 22, 2010
The mornings at the Long Beach Fire Department headquarters are typically pretty quiet, but on the morning of Friday, February 12th, that wasn’t the case on this day. This morning was filled with people chatting and laughing and the lobby was especially full. 13 Firefighters, who have been promoted to various ranks, were receiving their new badges. Below is a list of the names and their new ranks:
Battalion Chief
- Michael Duree
- David Segura
- Xavier Espino
- Christopher Albers
- Christopher Rowe
- Steve Raganold
- James Rexwinkel
Engineer
- Dennis Garrett
- Karen Rindone
Fire Boat Operator
- Fred Barkis
- Frederic Losey
- Abraham Chira
Marine Safety Officer
- Mitchell Garrison
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Early Morning Fire Ravages a Belmont Area Home
By Jackawa Jackson | February 22, 2010
On the morning of February 22, 2010, just before 7:00 am, Long Beach Fire Department units were dispatched to 775 Stanley Avenue to a report of a house fire. Responding units were able to see a large column of smoke rising from the area to which they were responding. Engine 2 was first to arrive on scene and found a 2-story Victorian era home with flames rolling from the first floor windows. The crew mounted an aggressive interior attack while other companies performed a diligent search of the residence for victims. Due to the early hour and severity of the fire, an accurate accounting of all residents was a necessity. It took fire crews 15 minutes to bring the blaze under control. The first floor was heavily damaged by fire while smoke damage was extensive on the second. Fortunately, home smoke detectors were in place and functioning and alerted the family to the danger. All members of the family were able to escape their burning home safely. Had there been no smoke detectors or no working batteries in them, this fire could have ended very differently. A total of 3 adults and 4 children were displaced as a result of this early morning fire and were provided shelter from the American Red Cross. The cause of this fire is currently under investigation. Damage estimates exceed $100,000. A total of 27 firefighters responded to this incident.
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USAR Air Ops Training
By Steve Berger | February 16, 2010
Topics: Drills, Video | No Comments »
House Fire In North Long Beach
By Jackawa Jackson | February 11, 2010
On Feb 10, 2010 at 9:12 pm, LBFD responded to a reported structure fire at 239 W Artesia Blvd in Area 11 A (Council District 9). First in Engine 12 reported a working fire in one room of a small single-family dwelling. Engine 12 took command while firefighters quickly extended a 1-1/2″ attack line through the front door, extinguishing the fire in a matter of minutes. Truck 11 provided ventilation and smoke removal. R 12 assessed the female owner for possible smoke inhalation; she refused treatment and transport. Because of the aggressive attack by firefighters, damage was limited to a clothes washer and dryer, the clothing inside and on top of the dryer, and paint/smoke damage throughout the house. Crews removed water and debris from the house. The owner and her young son will stay with family.
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Small Fire At The Grace Motel
By JJohnson | February 3, 2010
This morning at 11:50 am, the call came into the LBFD for reports of smoke showing from a room inside the Grace Motel. Engine 2 and Engine 4 were both on scene quickly and reported lite smoke showing from a rear, upstairs window. Light Force 14 along with Truck 1 checked the roof for any extension.
The small, 100 sq/ft room had pack rat conditions. It appeared as though it was storage only. The fire was contained to a small area, right as you open the door, with a fair amount of smoke damage. Crews had to remove a substantial amount of debri to get to the seat of the fire.
There were no injuries to FD personnel or occupants and the manager of the Motel was notified.
Total units on scene – E2, E4, LF14, R14, T1, BC2, PIO4
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