Multiple homes burn in massive Pacoima fireworks explosion; 1 critically injured

Los Angeles Times

2 days ago

Amid exploding fireworks, more than 130 firefighters battled a fire that had engulfed four homes in Pacoima and critically injured a woman on Thursday night, authorities said.
The Los Angeles Fire Department responded to three burning one-story homes in the area of 12933 W. Corcoran St. around 9 p.m. Fireworks were exploding upon arrival, exposing surrounding homes and brush to the danger of ignition.
Fire crews began attacking the blaze in a defensive mode, stationed from a safe distance to prioritize the safety of the crew from the possibility of additional explosions, according to the LAFD.
At 9:30 p.m. the Fire Department declared the blaze a 'major emergency' and said that a 33-year-old woman was transported to a hospital in critical condition.
Fire crews knocked down the fire at 10 p.m., by which point it had spread to a fourth home and a car, according to the Fire Department. Several animals were reportedly injured in the blaze, and a 68-year-old woman declined transportation to a hospital for smoke inhalation injuries.
A gas company has been requested to respond to a gas leak at one of the homes, while the L.A. Department of Water and Power has been requested to manage downed wires along the back of the initial three homes that caught fire, according to the LAFD.
The Fire Department's arson and and hazmat teams were dispatched to the incident, as was the L.A. Police Department's bomb squad. The Mayor's Crisis Team was sent to the extinguished fire to provide counseling and resources to affected residents.
The fireworks explosions were among several similar incidents reported across the state in the run-up to the Fourth of July.
A Thursday morning detonation killed one person in a Simi Valley home, and a similar incident critically injured two people in a Bay Area residence where officials suspect fireworks were being manufactured.
In addition, seven workers remain missing after a massive explosion engulfed a warehouse holding fireworks in Esparto, a rural area outside Sacramento, on Tuesday night.
The LAFD released messages earlier this week reminding residents that all fireworks are illegal in the city of L.A. and urging people to refrain from hosting personal fireworks displays to celebrate the holiday.
'Personal fireworks are known to negatively affect children, pets, and combat veterans. In addition, the wildfire danger is ever present,' said the department in a statement. 'Those who use, possess, or transport any type of firework may be subject to criminal prosecution — or worse yet, painful and debilitating injury.'