LAFD: Five Hospitalized After Panorama City Fire Burns Through Apartments | March 20, 2023
Channel: LAFD
Date: 2023-03-20

PANORAMA CITY - Early Monday morning, firefighters extinguished flames that burned through multiple units of a four-story apartment building, sending five to the hospital.

The Los Angeles City Fire Department was alerted to a structure fire in Panorama City on the 9000 block of North Tobias Street at 6:53 AM on Monday, March 20, 2023. First-arriving crews observed smoke coming from an apartment building that contained three floors of residential units over a ground-level parking garage. Residents had pulled several on-site fire hoses out of occupant-use hose cabinets, which are included as part of the building's fire protection system, and stretched them across the outdoor courtyard in an attempt to hamper the fire's progress.

LAFD Firefighters were met with a densely-occupied 200-unit apartment building with immediate fire-suppression and medical needs. Firefighters advanced long stretches of fire hose toward the involved units, while simultaneously helping residents evacuate to paramedics standing by at collection points outside for medical evaluations, for those that needed help.

It took approximately 100 LAFD personnel 44 minutes to extinguish the flames, while also providing medical care. A total of eleven patients were treated on scene, and five of those transported to local hospitals. One transported patient was in serious condition and the other four were in fair-to-moderate condition. Six patients declined transport and further care. Sadly, one canine was found dead at the scene.

A total of sixteen people from ten damaged units will be temporarily displaced. The American Red Cross responded to assist those displaced families. Firefighters on scene are escorting those residents back into their damaged units to retrieve important belongings and medications.

Per protocol on this type of incident, Fire Investigators are examining the scene in an attempt to determine the cause. This remains an active investigation.