LAFD Holds Fierce Blaze to One Business in Winnetka
Firefighters prevented injury and spared several businesses from harm Sunday evening, when fire erupted in a west San Fernando Valley garment care firm.
The Los Angeles Fire Department was notified at 6:17 PM on July 17, 2016 of a structure fire at 20050 Vanowen Street, Unit E, in Winnetka. Firefighters arrived quickly to find heavy smoke showing from the central section of an L-shaped, one-story 11,384 square foot retail center housing eleven businesses.
As their rooftop colleagues skilfully wielded chainsaws to vent intense heat and smoke - greatly limiting the horizontal spread of flame, firefighters advanced hoselines to hold fire within a dry cleaning and laundry firm, sparing ten neighboring businesses in close proximity.
Despite fire related structural compromise that presented a life hazard, ninety-five firefighters under the command of Battalion Chief James Ruiz, were able to confine flames within the business of fire origin, extinguishing the greater alarm blaze in just 22 minutes.
No injuries were reported.
Fire loss to West Valley Cleaners was limited to $150,000, with LAFD responders preventing more than $1.38 million in overall property loss to the shopping center. The cause of the fire was determined to be electrical in nature.
Dispatched Units: E72 E104 RA104 E93 T93 E293 RA93 E305 T105 BC17 BC15 E84 T73 E273 RA72 T105 E305 E100 E105 E296 T96 E290 T90 CM42 EM15 BC10 UR88 E89 UR89 RA89 T89 E289 HR56 BC14 EM17 SU2
