Massive Los Angeles fire being investigated as arson.
With hot spots smoldering Sunday, arson investigators launched a probe into the source of a massive fireball that injured 12 firefighters while turning a downtown Los Angeles neighborhood into one of the worst urban disasters many have seen.
Three firefighters were released from Los Angeles County + USC Medical Center, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. But as of midafternoon, two of the firefighters remained in critical condition. One firefighter was treated and released Saturday night for a minor injury, officials said. Eight remained in recovery at the hospital.
All of the firefighters, who were from the area’s Fire Station 9 downtown, were expected to survive.
“This is a hard hit that will not be forgotten for Station 9,” Fire Capt. Erik Scott said. “It’s a difficult time for our fire family.”
The fire itself wasn’t fully extinguished until Sunday morning, when arson investigators began piecing together how flames broke out at 6:26 p.m. at 327 E. Boyd St., in the vicinity of SmokeTokes, described as a maker of “butane honey oil,” also known as hash oil.
Butane is an odorless gas that easily ignites, and it is used to extract the high-inducing chemical THC from cannabis to create a highly potent concentrate. The oil is used in vape pens, edibles, waxes and other products.
The first firefighters descended on the scene within 4 minutes to find the one-story building engulfed in smoke. Since no businesses were open, they used power saws to force their way in.
But things got more dicey moments later when they heard what they described Sunday as a loud hissing noise that resembled a jet engine. That hissing tipped off some of the captains at the scene that an explosion was possible. Several radioed their firefighters to get off the roof of the structure, Scott said.
A thermal image camera that tracks temperature levels also alerted the captains about the danger, according to Los Angeles Fire Chief Ralph Terrazas.
That quick action likely saved lives. Dozens of firefighters descended on the building within minutes of the call and were on scene when the blast occurred.
A massive retreat began just moments before a huge explosion shook the neighborhood, forcing crews inside to run through a wall of flames estimated at 30 feet high and wide. Those on the roof scrambled down a ladder that was engulfed in fire.
It wouldn’t take long before a rare mayday radio call went out, with crews retreating but more than 200 firefighters rushing to the scene, as dozens of engines, trucks and rescue vehicles clogged the streets in an area that connects Little Tokyo, the Toy District and Skid Row all within a block or two.
“Mayday, mayday, mayday! All companies off the building. We have a mayday situation!” sounded the call.
“On the front outlet side of the building,” a voice shouted. “We need help!”
In moments, crews were reporting eight downed firefighters, according to the audio.
“This was one of the worst scenes I’ve seen,” Scott said Sunday.
Ultimately, the fire spread to several nearby buildings but not before reports of firefighters walking away from the explosion still on fire and having to be doused with fire extinguishers.
Among those firefighters were at least two who needed to be put on ventilators after breathing what doctors called “superheated” air.
After the explosion, a homeless man a few blocks away said it sounded like he was next to a railroad track as a five-engine freight train passed by. Debris and black smoke filled the air, he said.
“It was just a gang of noise I’ve never heard that loud before,” said Quincey Hammons, 44. “It sounded like the building was burning real fast, like Mount St. Helens.”
People living in the area who witnessed the explosion from home described a sound like a jet engine or a low-flying helicopter, followed by the blasts.
“Around 6, I heard a couple of explosions, then a sound like a plane was landing,” said Anthony Kim, who was getting tacos in Little Tokyo the day after the fire. “It was a loud hissing noise at first.”
Kim said he went out on his balcony and saw a massive column of fire a few blocks away.
Some residents described a mushroom cloud of smoke that rose hundreds of feet in the air.
The fire scene and surrounding area on Sunday morning remained closed, with numerous fire and police personnel conducting a widening arson investigation that could lead to criminal charges. Scott said the investigation is “one of the most significant in years” for the department.
But authorities were reluctant to jump to any conclusions about the source. Officials indicated the investigation could be complex and last for weeks.