Three historic Pico-Union homes were heavily damaged when fire ravaged the Craftsman style structures but all residents escaped uninjured. 

At 4:45PM on Wednesday, August 10, 2016, the Los Angeles Fire Department responded to a reported structure fire at 1244 S Bonnie Brae St.  Immediately upon exiting the fire station, crews could see the ominous smoke looming up in the distance, alerting them to the battle that lay ahead.

Meanwhile, an off-duty, 29 year veteran of the LAFD was in the area, saw the fire and took swift action to ensure all occupants were out prior to the first units arriving.  His quick thinking and brave actions surely helped prevent any injury to those in the homes.

The fire, which started outside 1232 S Bonne Brae St, was firmly entrenched in the attics of the two large homes and spread to the third house located on 12th Place.  Firefighters began an aggressive interior fire attack with a coordinated roof ventilation operation on all three structures.  Despite the steep pitched roof, holes were cut to clear out the hot gases and create a more tenable environment for the crews waging a fierce battle inside.

Over 140 firefighters, under the command of Assistant Chief Roy Harvey, continued the fight for just over an hour before gaining a knockdown.  Their relentless actions prevented the fire from damaging a fourth house and also saved the lives of two dogs rescued from the charred homes.  Sadly, a third dog and one cat did not survive.

The point of origin of the fire was located but the cause is officially 'undetermined'.  The 41 displaced occupants, 32 adults and nine children, were all transported to Fire Station 13 (the local station) to be temporarily sheltered.  Councilmember Gil Cedillo's office provided food while the families awaited the Red Cross for assistance in the rehousing process.

Dispatched units: E211 E11 T11 RA811 E210 E10 T10 T15 E215 E15 RA209 SQ21 BC11 BC1 E13 E26 T9 E209 E226 T26 CM22 EM1 BC18 T3 E203 E3 UR3 HR56 UR88 BC5 E229 T29 E235 T35 RA9 EA1 E4 E233 T33 E29 E94 E261 T61 E89 UR89 RA889 HU59 RA4 RA29 RA14 EM13 EM9 E289 T89 E220 T20 E2 E6 AR1 CM21 E3 T48 E248 T66 E266 T63 E263 E93 E27 E61 E90 T2 E202 E69 EM11