An early morning blaze in Echo Park significantly damaged two apartments and sent two occupants to the hospital in serious condition.

At 4:54AM on February 27, 2022 the Los Angeles City Fire Department responded to the 1000 block of N West Kensington for a reported structure fire.

Firefighters arrived to find a two-story, garden style apartment building with heavy fire showing from a unit on the first floor. With flames lapping up and extending to the 2nd floor unit, the first arriving fire company requested additional resources.

An offensive operation ensued with fire attack entering the apartment and quickly knocking back the flames to allow for a primary search. Two occupants were in the home at the time of the fire and both were rapidly rescued and transferred to the ambulance for immediate medical treatment. The adult female and adult male were transported to the hospital in serious condition.

With over 100 firefighters operating under the command of Battalion Chief Michael Castillo, a full extinguishment was achieved in 32 minutes with no further injuries reported.

The 2nd floor unit sustained significant damage, displacing five occupants. The Red Cross responded to the incident and provided immediate relocation assistance.

In accordance with protocol due to serious injuries incurred, the LAFD Arson and Counter-Terrorism Section (ACTS) responded for the investigation.  While the cause of the fire remains under investigation, the origin appears to be in the living room, in which there was no smoke alarm that could have provided earlier notification. 

It is critical to not only have smoke alarms in each bedroom, but on each level of your home. In a single level residence, this means placing smoke alarms in the living area and/or kitchen in addition to the bedrooms. Therefore, if the fire originates away from the bedrooms/sleeping areas, the smoke alarm can be triggered and provide an opportunity to escape.

Mysmokealarm.org provides instructional information and resources if you need assistance with installing smoke alarms in your home.