LAFD Battles Flames in Vacant Dental Office | November 12, 2020
Channel: LAFD
Date: 13/11/2020

PALMS - On Thursday, November 12, 2020, at 11:20 AM, 91 LAFD firefighters battled a greater alarm two-story commercial structure fire. After an initial interior (offensive) attack, crews retreated to an exterior position (defensive attack) due to concerns about structural integrity. The roof later collapsed, making it difficult to reach all areas. At least five ladder pipes were flowing concurrently during the height of the fire. The majority of the flames were knocked down in the first 80 minutes, but there were still inaccessible pockets of fire that took much longer to go out. Bystanders reported that all occupants got out of the vacant building (former dental offices). HAZMAT teams determined there were no hazards from potential leftover medical equipment. Urban Search and Rescue crews assessed the structural integrity and developed a plan for extinguishing the rest of the smoldering sections safely. Crews remained on scene for an extended period of time to dewater the basement level and complete a thorough search, including using a human remains detection canine as a precaution to ensure no one was trapped under the rubble. There were no reported injuries.