LAFD

Jose Perez, 44, was the first firefighter in the department to die of COVID-19. As seen on NBC LA at 11 p.m. Saturday July 25, 2020.

A Los Angeles firefighter died Saturday from complications of COVID-19, the first in the department to die from the disease. Firefighter-Paramedic Jose J. Perez was 44 and had been with the LAFD for more than 16 years, officials said. Perez is survived by his wife and three children. “Fire Chief Ralph Terrazas and the entire Department send their deepest and…

Firefighters dealt with a broken gas line as they battled a fire that tore through the attic of a laundromat in Boyle Heights Tuesday morning and caused the roof to collapse.  The cause of fire, reported at about 12:30 a.m. in the 2200 block of East First Street, was not immediately determined.  The incident was declared a major emergency...

Beverly White reported on NBC4 News at 11 p.m. on Tuesday, July 7, 2020.

Fourteen firefighters at the Los Angeles Fire Department’s Station 80, near LAX, were home Tuesday after testing positive for COVID-19. The firefighters tested positive either Monday or Tuesday, according to LAFD’s Margaret Stewart. The station, which is part of the fire department’s West Bureau, has since been disinfected and there is “no disruption to service,” as all positions are...

A woman who lives near a wildfire in the Sepulveda Pass captured flames on camera. Michelle Valles reports for Today in LA on Wednesday June 10, 2020.

Fire stations in Los Angeles will work to identify businesses similar to the vaping and cannabis supplies wholesale operation that went up in flames Saturday, triggering a powerful explosion and injuring 12 firefighters. Inspectors will attempt to ensure they are storing dangerous materials safely. The business that burned Saturday contained items like butane, commonly used in the volatile process of…

People can take their pets to be groomed and trained in Los Angeles, Mayor Eric Garcetti said Tuesday while also announcing car washes in the city can reopen. People will have to drop off their pets at the groomers and trainers and follow the same COVID-19 guidelines for small retail shops that were announced last week, until the Los Angeles…

Firefighters battled flames at a commercial building filled with textiles Tuesday morning in downtown Los Angeles.  The fire was reported at about 4 a.m.  on Mateo Street near 11th Street. The building contained densely packed rolled textiles piled about 15-feet high, according to the fire department.  The fire was declared a major emergency about 45 minutes later. More than...

Firefighters say the building contained textiles stacked about 15 feet high. Video broadcast Tuesday May 18, 2020 on Today in LA.

Four of the 12 firefighters injured in a fire and powerful explosion Saturday in downtown Los Angeles remained hospitalized Tuesday morning as investigators attempt to piece together events leading up to the blast. The firefighters were forced to crawl down a ladder from the roof of the business as they were surrounded by a ball of smoke and flames. All…

Investigators will be combing through debris, looking for burn patterns and talking to witnesses as they work to determine a cause to the fire that put so many lives at risk. Kim Tobin reports for the NBC4 News at 11 p.m. Sunday May 17, 2020.

Eleven firefighters suffered burn injuries when they escaped from a burning building through a ball of flames Saturday in downtown Los Angeles. A twelfth firefighter was injured and released from the hospital Saturday night. All injured firefighters were expected to survive. They were inside the building in the 300 block of East Boyd Street around 6:30 p.m. when the blast…

The NBC4 I-Team has obtained a copy of a video showing the DTLA explosion that injured 12 firefighters on Saturday night and learned that it is now being used as part of the LAFD’s investigation. The video shows firefighters escaping the burning building through a ball of flames and fiery explosion. Warning: the video below may not be suitable for…

A building marked Smoke Totes Warehouse distributor was at the center of the fire that took two hours to put out and injured several LAFD firefighters. Darsha Philips reports for the NBC4 News at 11 p.m. Saturday May 16, 2020.

Firefighters responded to a call of a fire when an explosion blasted through the building. 11 firefighters are injured. Mekahlo Medina reports for Today in LA on Sunday, May 17, 2020.

The NBC4 I-Team tracks the history of the smoke shop business at the center of the fire that injured 11 firefighters in Downtown LA. Eric Leonard reports for the NBC4 News at 11 p.m. Saturday May 16, 2020.

Three of the 11 firefighters suffered critical, but not life-threatening, injuries. Kim Tobin reports for the NBC4 News at 11 p.m. Saturday May 16, 2020.