Brush Fire Stopped, Homes Defended
With flames mere feet away from several homes in San Pedro, firefighters successfully defended a cul-de-sac from any damage.
At 5:43PM on July 20th, 2019 the Los Angeles Fire Department received a call for a reported rubbish fire in the 900 block of N Gaffey Place in San Pedro. The rubbish fire turned out to be a 1/4 acre brush fire threatening several homes and the incident was upgraded to a full brush fire response. Approximately 15MPH winds were driving the fire and embers from the numerous palm trees created spot fires in the brush along the homes at risk. Firefighters worked quickly to both target the blaze and get hand lines in place at four different homes to defend them from the approaching fire.
Crews positioned at the top and bottom of the hillside cut off the fire and the coordinated water drops from LAFD Air Operations worked to gain the upper hand. Under the leadership of Battalion Chief Scott Anderson, 111 firefighters held the fire to 3 acres and fully extinguished it in just over 90 minutes.
The dedicated efforts of firefighters ensured no home was damaged and no injuries were reported. While LAPD took a person into custody at the scene, it is unclear at this time if the individual is connected to the fire or other potential crimes in the vicinity. LAFD Arson Counter-Terrorism Section is actively investigating the fire.
