Firefighters ‘going to make it’

Eight remain in hospital after blaze, blast at hash oil maker

LOS ANGELES — Police and fire investigators launched a criminal probe Sunday into the cause of an explosion in downtown Los Angeles. Eight firefighters remained hospitalized Sunday after being hurt in the blast at a hash oil manufacturer that sent crews running for their lives when a ball of flames shot out of the building and scorched a firetruck across the street.

The blast Saturday evening injured a dozen firefighters including some who ran out onto sidewalks, where they tore off their burning protective equipment including melted helmets, officials said.

“It was one of the worst scenes I’ve seen,” Los Angeles Fire Department

Capt. Erik Scott said.

He 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.

Three firefighters were released after spending the night in the hospital, department spokesman Nicholas Prange said Sunday. Of the eight that remained hospitalized, two were in critical but stable condition, he said. Officials initially announced that 11 firefighters were injured, but Prange said a 12th was treated and released for a minor injury.

All were expected to survive.

“The good news is everybody’s going to make it,” Mayor Eric Garcetti said at a late Saturday news conference outside the Los Angeles County-university of Southern California Medical Center where all of the injured were treated.

“Things could have been so much worse,” said Los Angeles Fire Department Medical Director Dr. Marc Eckstein, who helped treat the injured.

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.

Los Angeles Fire Chief Ralph Terrazas said one of the firefighters inside the building thought things didn’t seem right because the pressure from the smoke and heat was increasing. He directed everyone to get out, and they started exiting the building as it was rocked by the explosion.