By Isaac Ceja
Nov 29, 2023, 17:27 PM EST
A building under construction caught fire, creating a massive fire that sent two people to the hospital and affected six other homes on East Vernon Avenue at 3:30 a.m.
Elestre Manzanares, who lives across the street from where the accident occurred, woke up to the sound of cars that were burning; while the flames from the building reached the top of the telephone poles.
“I woke up my family and we ran,” Manzanares said. “I grabbed a little dog that I have already running. “No time to get other things out.”
He added that in addition to losing personal items and other belongings in the fire, some of the affected neighbors even lost their pets.
Manzanares stressed that fortunately his house had not been affected thanks to the quick response of the firefighters.
Personnel from the Los Angeles City Fire Department (LAFD) said they arrived at the scene of the fire in two minutes, after several people reported the emergency to 9-1-1.
The first firefighters to arrive at the scene said they found a stick firea block long and immediately became a major emergency structure fire.
A stick fire refers to exposed wood on a construction site that allows air to circulate and quickly creates an intense fire that consumes everything in its path.
More than 140 firefighters, under the command of Deputy Chief Douglas Lewis, fought for an hour and 18 minutes before controlling the fire.
A total of seven houses were damaged by the fire and five of them suffered total losses.
17 residents were unable to return to their homes and both the Red Cross and the City of Los Angeles Department of Emergency Management provided immediate assistance.
Most residents quickly gathered all belongings that were not affected by the fire, as the entrance to the houses would be closed shortly after.
An evacuation center was established at the Ross Snyder Recreation Center, where residents affected by the fire spoke to the Red Cross for assistance with food, clothing and housing.
María Isabel Pérez and Carlos Hernández, her husband’s cousin, went to the Ross Snyder Recreation Center to ask for assistance since they lost all their belongings, including their vehicles.
Pérez explained that as soon as he noticed the fire, all the exits to his house were on fire and he thought maybe he was going to die.
Luckily, when the firefighters arrived, Pérez signaled for them to help her and the firefighters poured water so that she could get out safely.
“I wanted to go out, but when I tried to open the door I saw that the flames were very close. I grabbed my dog and got out of there. After about ten minutes everything had already been consumed. “It was an incredible thing,” Pérez explained.
Carlos Hernández, like many neighbors, was woken up by the noise that they related to bomb explosions.
At first he thought it was just a very heavy rain but then he saw something else.
“When I opened the curtain I saw that it was on fire on the other side and fireballs were falling from the building,” Hernandez said.
After Hernandez left his house, the fire was so big that his skin was burning.
Hernández added that they had lived in that house for 12 years and he was worried because now he has to look for a place to live and it is not easy.
Councilman Curren D. Price Jr. visited the Ross Snyder Recreation Center to see how people were doing and the damage left by the fire.
“My office is dedicated to helping families get through this difficult time and we are prepared to offer essential help as they work to rebuild their lives,” Councilman Price said in a message on social network X.
“This moment is truly heartbreaking and we are all devastated, but the spirit and resilience of District 9 will shine through in the end.”
The LAFD Arson and Counterterrorism Section (ACTS) responded according to protocol and is conducting an ongoing investigation, but at this time there are no official details on who or what was responsible for the fire.
After LAFD personnel left, workers arrived to repair damage to power lines and telephone poles.
To help the victims
Visit the GoFundMe page and write: Support Omar Herández after devastating fire, or also: Help the Diaz Family recover from the fire.