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Fire Department 101

The LAFD is fast, not furious.

October 28, 2009 / 0 Comments
The LAFD plays Speedy Gonzales. A car fire broke out Tuesday, October 20 at 5:27 on the east side of the LA River, opposite Griffith Park. According to Firefighter Richard Matheney, one engine responded and they knocked down the fire in 4 minutes.
As usual, I’m curious. Why a car fire? It wasn’t a hot day. And why right next to the LA River? (the trees at the bottom of the photo are actually in the LA River.)

fire on edge of LA River, October 20

There, see? I can say nice things about the LA Fire Department! This certainly did make a lot of smoke, but I saw 2 firefighters there almost immediately. For some reason, it took me 2 days to find out any info on this fire. According to Officer Brian Humphreys, the LAFD doesn’t have a database!! Okay, I do find that totally shocking. Come on, it’s 2009.

An unidentified and curious helicopter, not part of the LAFD, follows the smoke plume.

fire near LA River and the 5, Atwater, October

    Want more like this?
  1. LAFD Fail in the Station Fire.
  2. Arson in Griffith Park?
  3. LAFD needs Silver Lake to be refilled for fire emergencies.
  4. Wrong trucks for the job; condors happy, anyway.

Griffith Park is the 2nd biggest park in the US, and I'm just the person to investigate it! I've lived here for over 25 years. I was part of the PROS Committee in Griffith Park Neighborhood Council and am on the Housing & Tenants Rights Committee in the Silver Lake NC. I'm in the LA Press Club, and you can find some of my articles in the LA Weekly and the Los Feliz Ledger. I'm a cartoonist for Parade Magazine, The New Yorker, LA Times, Slate, & most major media. Questions and contacts welcome.

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