11 Los Angeles firefighters hurt while running from blast
11 firefighters injured in downtown Los Angeles explosion
(about 2 hours later)
LOS ANGELES — An explosion Saturday at a hash oil manufacturer in downtown Los Angeles injured 11 firefighters who had gone inside and on the roof to try to knock down a fire and then had to run for their lives when a ball of flames shot out the building and scorched a fire truck across the street.
An explosion Saturday night that rocked an area in downtown Los Angeles injured 11 firefighters who were responding to a major fire at a business that manufactures hash oil.
Los Angeles Fire Department Capt. Erik Scott said “one significant explosion” shook the neighborhood around 6:30 p.m. Firefighters inside had to run through a wall of flames he estimated as 30 feet high and wide, and those on the roof scrambled down a ladder that was engulfed in fire.
Los Angeles Fire Department Capt. Erik Scott said the “significant explosion” occurred after firefighters were called about 6 p.m. Saturday to the site of a fire at a commercial building on Boyd Street in the city’s Toy District. The firefighters who entered the building were looking for the nexus of the fire when the blast occurred, causing the flames to spread to nearby buildings, Scott told reporters near the scene. A distress call was sent after the explosion occurred, and about 230 other firefighters responded, setting up a triage area to treat their wounded comrades. Two hours after the initial call, the fire was put out.
Scott said people at the scene described the explosion as sounding like a freight train or jet engine. Some of the fleeing firefighters were on fire and tore off their protective equipment and left it on the sidewalk, along with melted helmets, Scott said.
Major fire in Little Tokyo/downtown Los Angeles at San Pedro and Third. Dangerously close to Skid Row residents, senior and low income housing. Major smoke screen, ash is raining for blocks. pic.twitter.com/s4coh3xbgq
“The was one of the worst scenes I’ve seen,” he said.
The blast and flames melted firefighters’ helmets, blackened a firetruck parked across the street and charred a ladder that firefighters had climbed to access the one-story commercial building, Scott said.
All 11 firefighters suffered burns ranging from minor to serious. Three were listed as critical condition, and two of them were on ventilators. All were expected to survive.
The cause of the fire is being investigated.
“The good news is everybody’s going to make it,” Mayor Eric Garcetti said at a news conference outside the Los Angeles County-University of Southern California Medical Center where all the injured were treated.
“This is a paramount concern to determine what caused this,” Scott said.
“Things could have been so much worse,” said Los Angeles Fire Department Medical Director Dr. Marc Eckstein, who works at the hospital and helped treat the injured.
The injured firefighters are expected to survive, he said. Four were taken to the burn unit, and two of them were on ventilators, LAFD medical director Marc Eckstein said at a news conference Saturday night at the Los Angeles County-University of Southern California Medical Center, where the injured were being treated.
Firefighters were called to 327 East Boyd St. in the city’s Toy District for a report of a fire at a one-story commercial building. There was light to moderate smoke when firefighters entered the building and went on the roof, normal procedures to try to quickly knock down any flames.
“Things could have been so much worse today,” he said, adding that there’s no evidence that the blast caused the injuries.
Los Angeles Fire Chief Ralph Terrazas said one of the firefighters inside the building thought things didn’t seem right — the pressure from the smoke and heat coming from the rear of the building were increasing. He directed everyone to get out, and as they quickly started exiting the building as it was rocked by the explosion.
That may be because the officer in charge at the scene realized that the heat and pressure from the rear of the warehouse was increasing and ordered the firefighters to leave when the blast occurred, LAFD Chief Ralph Terrazas said at the briefing.
Firefighters on the roof scrambled down ladders with their protective coats on fire. The wall of flames shot out the building and burned seats inside a fire truck across the street.
“Things didn’t seem right,” he said.
More than 200 firefighters rushed to the scene, and dozens of engines, trucks and rescue vehicles clogged the streets. The fire spread to several nearby buildings, but firefighters were able to douse it in about an hour.
Witnesses said the coats of some of the firefighters were on fire as they ran out of the building, Terrazas said.
The injured firefighters were rushed to the hospital. Those who remained at the scene, unaware of the seriousness of their colleagues’ injuries, were traumatized by what had transpired, Terrazas said.
“We’ve been saying for the last two months, even more than usual, how much we appreciate our medical personal and first responders,” Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said at the briefing, referring to the coronavirus pandemic, “and, tonight, I’m doubly and deeply grateful for both of them.”
“You can imagine the amount of emotional stress,” he said.
Tonight, 11 @LAFD firefighters were injured battling a blaze in downtown L.A. All of them are being treated for their injuries and in stable condition at this time. Our hearts go out to their loved ones and fellow first responders. We are keeping them in our prayers. pic.twitter.com/RRoUNPgLBt
Scott said the building was a warehouse for SmokeTokes, which he described as a maker of “butane honey oil.” Butane is an odorless gas that easily ignites, and it’s used in the process to extract the high-inducing chemical THC from cannabis to create a highly potent concentrate also known as hash oil. The oil is used in vape pens, edibles, waxes and other products.
The building that exploded housed the wholesale business Smoke Tokes, which Scott says makes “butane honey oil.” Butane, an odorless gas that easily ignites, is used in the process that creates hash oil with THC from cannabis. The oil is used in vaporizers, waxes and other products that the Smoke Tokes business retails on its website.
On its website, SmokeTokes advertises a variety of products including “puff bars,” pipes, “dab” tools, vaporizers, “torches and butane,” and cartridges. The company says it is “an international distributor and wholesaler of smoking and vaping products, and related accessories.” Founded in 2009, it offers “discounts to loyal customers, fast shipping, a huge catalog of products and customer service that is untouched.”
The business didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
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