Tag: Los Angeles Fire Department

Rob Reiner and his wife found dead in Los Angeles home

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Director-actor Rob Reiner and his wife Michele were the two people found dead Sunday at a Los Angeles home owned by Reiner, according to a law enforcement official briefed on the investigation.The official could not publicly discuss details of the investigation and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. Investigators believe they suffered stab wounds and a family member is being questioned by investigators, the official said.The Los Angeles Fire Department said it responded to a medical aid request shortly after 3:30 p.m. and found a 78-year-old man and 68-year-old woman dead inside. Reiner turned 78 in March.Detectives with the Robbery Homicide Division were investigating an “apparent homicide” at Reiner’s home, said Capt. Mike Bland with the Los Angeles Police Department.Los Angeles authorities have not confirmed the identities of the people found dead at the residence in the upscale Brentwood neighborhood on the city’s west side that’s home to many celebrities.Reiner was long one of the most prolific directors in Hollywood, and his work included some of the most memorable movies of the 1980s and ’90s, including “This is Spinal Tap,” “A Few Good Men,” “When Harry Met Sally” and “The Princess Bride.”His role as Meathead in Norman Lear’s 1970s TV classic “All in the Family,” alongside Carol O’Connor’s Archie Bunker, catapulted him to fame and won him two Emmy Awards.Relatives of Lear, the legendary producer who died in 2023, said they were bereft by the news.“Norman often referred to Rob as a son, and their close relationship was extraordinary, to us and the world,” said a Lear family statement. “Norman would have wanted to remind us that Rob and Michele spent every breath trying to make this country a better place, and they pursued that through their art, their activism, their philanthropy, and their love for family and friends.”Messages to Reiner’s representatives were not immediately returned Sunday night.Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass called Reiner’s death a devastating loss for the city.“Rob Reiner’s contributions reverberate throughout American culture and society, and he has improved countless lives through his creative work and advocacy fighting for social and economic justice,” Bass said in a statement. “An acclaimed actor, director, producer, writer, and engaged political activist, he always used his gifts in service of others.”The son of comedy legend Carl Reiner, Rob Reiner was married to photographer Michele Singer Reiner since 1989. The two met while he was directing “When Harry Met Sally” and have three children together.Reiner was previously married to actor-director Penny Marshall from 1971 to 1981. He adopted her daughter, Tracy Reiner. Carl Reiner died in 2020 at age 98 and Marshall died in 2018.Killings are rare in the Brentwood neighborhood. The scene is about a mile from the home where O.J. Simpson’s wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman were killed in 1994.Balsamo reported from Washington. Associated Press Entertainment Writer Andrew Dalton in Los Angeles contributed.

LOS ANGELES —

Director-actor Rob Reiner and his wife Michele were the two people found dead Sunday at a Los Angeles home owned by Reiner, according to a law enforcement official briefed on the investigation.

The official could not publicly discuss details of the investigation and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.

Investigators believe they suffered stab wounds and a family member is being questioned by investigators, the official said.

The Los Angeles Fire Department said it responded to a medical aid request shortly after 3:30 p.m. and found a 78-year-old man and 68-year-old woman dead inside. Reiner turned 78 in March.

Detectives with the Robbery Homicide Division were investigating an “apparent homicide” at Reiner’s home, said Capt. Mike Bland with the Los Angeles Police Department.

Los Angeles authorities have not confirmed the identities of the people found dead at the residence in the upscale Brentwood neighborhood on the city’s west side that’s home to many celebrities.

Reiner was long one of the most prolific directors in Hollywood, and his work included some of the most memorable movies of the 1980s and ’90s, including “This is Spinal Tap,” “A Few Good Men,” “When Harry Met Sally” and “The Princess Bride.”

His role as Meathead in Norman Lear’s 1970s TV classic “All in the Family,” alongside Carol O’Connor’s Archie Bunker, catapulted him to fame and won him two Emmy Awards.

Relatives of Lear, the legendary producer who died in 2023, said they were bereft by the news.

“Norman often referred to Rob as a son, and their close relationship was extraordinary, to us and the world,” said a Lear family statement. “Norman would have wanted to remind us that Rob and Michele spent every breath trying to make this country a better place, and they pursued that through their art, their activism, their philanthropy, and their love for family and friends.”

Messages to Reiner’s representatives were not immediately returned Sunday night.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass called Reiner’s death a devastating loss for the city.

“Rob Reiner’s contributions reverberate throughout American culture and society, and he has improved countless lives through his creative work and advocacy fighting for social and economic justice,” Bass said in a statement. “An acclaimed actor, director, producer, writer, and engaged political activist, he always used his gifts in service of others.”

The son of comedy legend Carl Reiner, Rob Reiner was married to photographer Michele Singer Reiner since 1989. The two met while he was directing “When Harry Met Sally” and have three children together.

Reiner was previously married to actor-director Penny Marshall from 1971 to 1981. He adopted her daughter, Tracy Reiner. Carl Reiner died in 2020 at age 98 and Marshall died in 2018.

Killings are rare in the Brentwood neighborhood. The scene is about a mile from the home where O.J. Simpson’s wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman were killed in 1994.

Balsamo reported from Washington. Associated Press Entertainment Writer Andrew Dalton in Los Angeles contributed.

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December 15, 2025
Rob Reiner and his wife found dead in Los Angeles home

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Director-actor Rob Reiner and his wife Michele were the two people found dead Sunday at a Los Angeles home owned by Reiner, according to a law enforcement official briefed on the investigation.The official could not publicly discuss details of the investigation and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. Investigators believe they suffered stab wounds and a family member is being questioned by investigators, the official said.The Los Angeles Fire Department said it responded to a medical aid request shortly after 3:30 p.m. and found a 78-year-old man and 68-year-old woman dead inside. Reiner turned 78 in March.Detectives with the Robbery Homicide Division were investigating an “apparent homicide” at Reiner’s home, said Capt. Mike Bland with the Los Angeles Police Department.Los Angeles authorities have not confirmed the identities of the people found dead at the residence in the upscale Brentwood neighborhood on the city’s west side that’s home to many celebrities.Reiner was long one of the most prolific directors in Hollywood, and his work included some of the most memorable movies of the 1980s and ’90s, including “This is Spinal Tap,” “A Few Good Men,” “When Harry Met Sally” and “The Princess Bride.”His role as Meathead in Norman Lear’s 1970s TV classic “All in the Family,” alongside Carol O’Connor’s Archie Bunker, catapulted him to fame and won him two Emmy Awards.Relatives of Lear, the legendary producer who died in 2023, said they were bereft by the news.“Norman often referred to Rob as a son, and their close relationship was extraordinary, to us and the world,” said a Lear family statement. “Norman would have wanted to remind us that Rob and Michele spent every breath trying to make this country a better place, and they pursued that through their art, their activism, their philanthropy, and their love for family and friends.”Messages to Reiner’s representatives were not immediately returned Sunday night.Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass called Reiner’s death a devastating loss for the city.“Rob Reiner’s contributions reverberate throughout American culture and society, and he has improved countless lives through his creative work and advocacy fighting for social and economic justice,” Bass said in a statement. “An acclaimed actor, director, producer, writer, and engaged political activist, he always used his gifts in service of others.”The son of comedy legend Carl Reiner, Rob Reiner was married to photographer Michele Singer Reiner since 1989. The two met while he was directing “When Harry Met Sally” and have three children together.Reiner was previously married to actor-director Penny Marshall from 1971 to 1981. He adopted her daughter, Tracy Reiner. Carl Reiner died in 2020 at age 98 and Marshall died in 2018.Killings are rare in the Brentwood neighborhood. The scene is about a mile from the home where O.J. Simpson’s wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman were killed in 1994.Balsamo reported from Washington. Associated Press Entertainment Writer Andrew Dalton in Los Angeles contributed.

LOS ANGELES —

Director-actor Rob Reiner and his wife Michele were the two people found dead Sunday at a Los Angeles home owned by Reiner, according to a law enforcement official briefed on the investigation.

The official could not publicly discuss details of the investigation and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.

Investigators believe they suffered stab wounds and a family member is being questioned by investigators, the official said.

The Los Angeles Fire Department said it responded to a medical aid request shortly after 3:30 p.m. and found a 78-year-old man and 68-year-old woman dead inside. Reiner turned 78 in March.

Detectives with the Robbery Homicide Division were investigating an “apparent homicide” at Reiner’s home, said Capt. Mike Bland with the Los Angeles Police Department.

Los Angeles authorities have not confirmed the identities of the people found dead at the residence in the upscale Brentwood neighborhood on the city’s west side that’s home to many celebrities.

Reiner was long one of the most prolific directors in Hollywood, and his work included some of the most memorable movies of the 1980s and ’90s, including “This is Spinal Tap,” “A Few Good Men,” “When Harry Met Sally” and “The Princess Bride.”

His role as Meathead in Norman Lear’s 1970s TV classic “All in the Family,” alongside Carol O’Connor’s Archie Bunker, catapulted him to fame and won him two Emmy Awards.

Relatives of Lear, the legendary producer who died in 2023, said they were bereft by the news.

“Norman often referred to Rob as a son, and their close relationship was extraordinary, to us and the world,” said a Lear family statement. “Norman would have wanted to remind us that Rob and Michele spent every breath trying to make this country a better place, and they pursued that through their art, their activism, their philanthropy, and their love for family and friends.”

Messages to Reiner’s representatives were not immediately returned Sunday night.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass called Reiner’s death a devastating loss for the city.

“Rob Reiner’s contributions reverberate throughout American culture and society, and he has improved countless lives through his creative work and advocacy fighting for social and economic justice,” Bass said in a statement. “An acclaimed actor, director, producer, writer, and engaged political activist, he always used his gifts in service of others.”

The son of comedy legend Carl Reiner, Rob Reiner was married to photographer Michele Singer Reiner since 1989. The two met while he was directing “When Harry Met Sally” and have three children together.

Reiner was previously married to actor-director Penny Marshall from 1971 to 1981. He adopted her daughter, Tracy Reiner. Carl Reiner died in 2020 at age 98 and Marshall died in 2018.

Killings are rare in the Brentwood neighborhood. The scene is about a mile from the home where O.J. Simpson’s wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman were killed in 1994.

Balsamo reported from Washington. Associated Press Entertainment Writer Andrew Dalton in Los Angeles contributed.

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December 15, 2025
Could LAFD have done more to prevent rekindling of Palisades fire?

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Federal investigators have determined that the wildfire that leveled much of Pacific Palisades on Jan. 7 was a so-called “holdover” from a smaller fire that was set intentionally on New Year’s Day, about a week earlier.

After Los Angeles firefighters suppressed the Jan. 1 fire known as the Lachman fire, it continued to smolder and burn underground, “unbeknownst to anyone,” according to federal officials. They said heavy winds six days later caused the underground fire to surface and spread above ground in what became one of the costliest and most destructive disasters in city history.

The revelations — unveiled in a criminal complaint and attached affidavit Wednesday charging the alleged arsonist, Jonathan Rinderknecht — raise questions about what the Los Angeles Fire Department could have done to prevent the conflagration in the days leading up to the expected windstorm on Jan. 7 and the extraordinary fire risk that would come with it.

“This affidavit puts the responsibility on the fire department,” said Ed Nordskog, former head of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s arson unit. “There needs to be a commission examining why this rekindled fire was allowed to reignite.”

He added: “The arsonist set the first fire, but the Fire Department proactively has a duty to do certain things.”

A Times investigation found that LAFD officials did not pre-deploy any engines to the Palisades ahead of the Jan. 7 fire, despite warnings about extreme weather. In preparing for the winds, the department staffed up only five of more than 40 engines available to supplement the regular firefighting force.

Those engines could have been pre-positioned in the Palisades and elsewhere, as had been done in the past during similar weather.

Kenny Cooper, special agent in charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives who was involved in the investigation into the Palisades fire’s origin, said the blame for the fire’s re-ignition lies solely with the person who started it.

“That fire burned deep within the ground, in roots and in structure, and remained active for several days,” Cooper said. “No matter how good they are, they can’t see that, right?”

But, he said, wildland firefighters commonly patrol for days or weeks to prevent re-ignitions.

When he worked at a state forestry agency, he said, “we would have a lightning strike, and it would hit a tree, and it would burn for days, sometimes weeks, and then ignite into a forest fire. We would go suppress that, and then every day, for weeks on end, we would patrol those areas to make sure they didn’t reignite,” he said. “If we saw evidence of smoke or heat, then we would provide resources to that. So that, I know that’s a common practice, and it’s just, it’s a very difficult fire burning underground.”

The affidavit provides a window into the firefighting timeline on Jan. 1, when just after midnight, the Lachman fire was ignited near a small clearing near the Temescal Ridge Trail.

12:13 a.m.: An image taken from a UCSD camera, approximately two-tenths of a mile away, shows a bright spot in the upper left — the Lachman fire.

12:20 a.m.: Rinderknecht drives down Palisades Drive, passing fire engines heading up Palisades Drive, responding to the fire.

That night, the LAFD, with help from the Los Angeles County Fire Department, used water drops from aircraft and hose lines, as well as handlines dug by L.A. County crews, to attack the fire, according to the complaint. Firefighters continued suppression efforts during the day on Jan. 1, wetting down areas within the fire perimeter. When the suppression efforts were over, the affidavit said, the fire crews left fire hoses on site, in case they needed to be redeployed.

Jan. 2: LAFD personnel returned to the scene to collect the fire hoses. According to the affidavit, it appeared to them that the fire was fully extinguished.

But investigators determined that during the Lachman fire, a firebrand became seated within the dense vegetation, continuing to smolder and burn within the roots underground. Strong winds brought the embers to the surface, to grow into a deadly conflagration.

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Alene Tchekmedyian, Richard Winton

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October 8, 2025
How Los Angeles is preparing for one of the most action-packed weekends in decades
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With arguably the most anticipated World Series in decades kicking off this week in Los Angeles, city leaders say a massive effort is underway to ensure the Fall Classic and other local events go off without a hitch.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and other local leaders announced a comprehensive plan on Thursday to prepare for a full slate of events beginning Friday and taking place throughout the weekend, including Game 1 of the World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Yankees.

Bass said the city is gearing up to welcome visitors while ensuring safety, minimizing traffic and highlighting its cultural landmarks.

Where to watch the World Series in L.A.

“We’re working to make sure the City is safe, that traffic is minimized, and that visitors and Angelenos alike are able to enjoy the many attractions, culture, food and neighborhoods that make L.A. an iconic international destination,” Bass said.

Below are some of the efforts Los Angeles and its regional partners are planning to institute in the coming days:

Traffic and safety measures
- Expanded Metro service: Extra service on the A, B/D, and E Metro lines will be available, along with increased Dodger Stadium Express buses.
- Deploying traffic officers: Over 100 LA Department of Transportation officers will manage car flow near major events.
- Specialized traffic management: LADOT’s Special Traffic Operations will implement plans for efficient access to venues, including Dodger Stadium Express lane adjustments.
- Real-time traffic monitoring: The Automated Transportation Systems and Coordination Center will manage congestion at key intersections.
Los Angeles Dodgers fans disembark from the Dodger Stadium Express at Dodger Stadium in this undated photo. (LA Metro/The Source)

Safety Efforts
- Law enforcement visibility: Los Angeles Police Department officers will be deployed at event locations and pedestrian corridors to ensure safety.
- Emergency services: The Los Angeles Fire Department is coordinating with Dodgers’ Public Safety Team for medical support.
Welcoming Visitors
- Cultural landmarks: The City Tourism Department is promoting free admission to many local cultural landmarks, and highlighting the diversity of its neighborhoods through discoverlosangeles.com
- Airline traffic: LAX expects increased traffic ahead of the World Series, with tips for early arrivals and pre-booking services for departing guests.
Supporting businesses
- Assistance for local businesses: The Mayor’s Office Business Concierge will provide resources to help businesses benefit from the influx of visitors. Additionally, the new “ProcureLA” program aims to prepare businesses for upcoming events like the 2026 World Cup and 2028 Olympics.
The city is also hosting watch parties for Game 4 of the World Series at El Sereno Recreation Center, Algin Sutton Recreation Center, Ritchie Valens Recreation Center, and Michelle and Barack Obama Sports Complex. Additional watch parties will be held for Games 5-7, if needed.

Those watch party events will feature entertainment, activities and a PlayLA sports zone for kids to inspire the “next generation of world champions.”

“My message is that L.A. is ready – ready to host the World Series, ready to welcome visitors from near and far, and we are ready to win,” Bass said. “Go Dodgers!”

In addition to Game 1 of the World Series, Friday also features USC vs. Rutgers at the L.A. Coliseum, Phoenix Suns at Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena, and the 89th East LA Classic between James A. Garfield High School and Theodore Roosevelt High School taking place at SoFi Stadium. The Lakers will also host the Sacramento Kings on Saturday.

World Series, other events prompting likely traffic nightmare in L.A. on Friday

The Intuit Dome will host English singer-songwriter David Gilmour Friday, and the Kia Forum will have two nights of performances from classic rock band Electric Light Orchestra, or at least, Jeff Lynne’s ELO, Friday and Saturday.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA.
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October 24, 2024
Police search for arson suspect in blaze that burned an abandoned construction site in Chinatown

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Police officials are asking for the public’s help in identifying an arson suspect in connection to a fire that started in an abandoned construction site and injured six people and displaced dozens in the Chinatown neighborhood.

On Sept. 13 at 3:43 a.m. the Los Angeles Fire Department responded to a fire that started at a construction site at 712 New Depot Street and then jumped to a nearby three-story apartment building. Three other buildings were exposed to the flames, according to the fire department.

An 80-year-old man experienced smoke inhalation and a female tenant, 55, sustained burn injuries to her hands and arms, according to police.

Two firefighters suffered minor injuries.

“After a thorough investigation, the [Los Angeles Fire Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms] officials determined that the fire was deliberately set,” Blake Chow, assistance chief for the police department, told NBC4.

“Investigators have developed a strong lead on a suspect and are hopeful that the arrest will be made soon,” Chow said.

The Times reached out to Chow but did not receive a comment before press time.

Although officials suspect arson, the cause of the fire is still under investigation, according police officials.

Police say tenants in four nearby occupied residential multistory apartment complexes were evacuated from their homes.

In total, 51 people, across all four exposed apartment buildings, were displaced and needed assistance to find housing, according to the Fire Department.

Neighbors had previously raised concerns to Councilmember Eunissess Hernandez’s office and the Los Angeles Police Department of the construction site that had been abandoned since the end of 2022. The following year, neighbors continued to voice concerns of several squatters living on the site.

Police officials previously told nearby resident Katie Antonsson, a former Los Angeles Times audience engagement analyst, that because she doesn’t own the property, she has no say over who can and cannot be on it, so police could not assist her.

She was instead recommended to file a report with the city’s Building and Safety Department. Antonsson filed a report two months ago and hasn’t gotten a response.

Anyone with information is urged to call major crimes detectives at (213) 486-7260. During nonbusiness hours or on weekends, calls should be directed to (877) 527-3247. Anyone wishing to remain anonymous should call the L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-8477 or go directly to www.lacrimestoppers.org.

Lastly, tipsters may also download the “P-3 Tips” mobile application and select the L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers as their local program.

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Karen Garcia

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September 18, 2024
Man is killed and woman and four children injured in crash on 10 Freeway

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One man was killed and a woman and four children injured Sunday afternoon in a rollover crash on the 10 Freeway, fire officials said.

Authorities said the two-car crash occurred near the Hoover Street ramp on the westbound 10 in the University Park area.

One man was found dead at the scene, and a 29-year-old woman and four boys were taken to a trauma center for treatment, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.

One boy is 3 months old; the others are 6, 7 and 10 years. Officials said they were in serious or critical condition.

The crash, which occurred around 3 p.m., closed all westbound lanes on the 10 for several hours. The California Highway Patrol reopened the freeway around 6:30 p.m.

City News Service contributed to this report.

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Alene Tchekmedyian

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March 17, 2024
Landslide damages at least 3 homes in Sherman Oaks, some residents evacuated

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SHERMAN OAKS, LOS ANGELES (KABC) — At least three homes in Sherman Oaks were impacted by a landslide, prompting some people to be evacuated overnight.

Firefighters responded to N. Ventura Canyon Avenue around 2:51 a.m. Wednesday after reports of a large tree and wires down in the backyard of a residence, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.

They discovered a large portion of the hillside had slid down toward homes in the area.

A home that was under construction sustained the most damage and will be red-tagged, officials said. One of the other homes was yellow-tagged.

LAFD’s Cody Weireter described the damage that was left behind.

“You have a large debris of mud, vegetation, trees… and rocks and concrete just come down into one of the homes that was under construction,” he told Eyewitness News. “A portion of one of the homes’ outdoor pool area has actually separated form that main foundation, and so obviously that’s one of our biggest concerns right now.”

Video from the scene shows a pool house and pool that sustained significant damage with large cracks on the ground. Crews pumped the water out of the pool to reduce the stress on the hillside.

There were people inside two of the homes at the time of the landslide. They all safely evacuated. No injuries were reported.

DEVELOPING: We will add more details to this report as they become available.

Copyright © 2024 KABC Television, LLC. All rights reserved.

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Jaysha Patel

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March 13, 2024
LAFD calls on city to end pilot program that sent health workers to 911 calls

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The Los Angeles Fire Department has recommended ending a pilot program that sends mental health workers to non-emergency calls, saying it didn’t actually free up first responders and hospital emergency rooms.

The recommendation was made by Peter Hsiao, assistant chief of the Emergency Medical Services Bureau, in a report submitted to the Los Angeles Board of Fire Commissioners at its Tuesday meeting. The board did not discuss the item, which now will be sent to the L.A. City Council for its consideration.

In his report, Hsiao said that the idea behind the therapeutic van pilot — sending a van staffed with a psychiatric response team instead of LAFD paramedics or emergency medical technicians to handle 911 calls involving patients suffering nonviolent mental health crises — was “sound in theory” but not in practice.

He wrote that workers with the county Department of Mental Health “lacked the requisite training and thus were unqualified to perform medical assessments or provide emergency medical services.”

Hsiao said the lack of training offset any benefit to the Fire Department and its resources. Last year, he wrote, fewer than four patients each day met the narrow criteria established for transport by a therapeutic van. He said the mental health agency made several efforts to increase the usage of the van but still fell short.

The pilot program, a partnership between the city and the Department of Mental Health, officially launched in the fall of 2021 and has cost nearly $4 million. The vans operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and are staffed with psychiatric mobile response teams that include a driver experienced in transporting patients to and from health and mental health facilities, a psychiatric technician and a peer support specialist. The vans were placed at five fire stations throughout the city.

The program’s launch, which city and fire officials praised, came amid the public’s frustration over the city and county’s handling of the homelessness crisis, which has been intensifying for years. It also coincided with Gov. Gavin Newsom’s plan to push more people with severe mental health and addiction disorders into court-ordered care that includes medication and housing.

The Department of Mental Health did not respond to a request for comment.

The therapeutic van program already faced issues when the city sought to expand it in 2023. At the time, LAFD raised concerns about the program’s limitations, stating that many of the patients required emergency care and first responders could not transfer them to the therapeutic vans. There was also a staff shortage that prevented some of the vans from operating more than 12 hours.

In his report, Hsiao said the Fire Department was simultaneously operating another program with capabilities similar to the therapeutic van program but with a greater scope of service.

These advanced provider response units, Hsiao wrote, consist of an EMS advanced provider who is either a nurse practitioner or a physician assistant and an LAFD firefighter or paramedic.

The units are capable of treating and assessing voluntary and involuntary mental health patients, including writing so-called 5150 holds to temporarily institutionalize people at risk to themselves or others. The units are also able to provide emergency care and write prescriptions.

“Patients experiencing mental health crises in conjunction with medical, violent or substance abuse issues require a responder with broader capabilities and preferably the ability to transport to non-traditional receiving facilities,” Hsiao wrote in his report. “These functions are largely satisfied by the [advanced provider response units].”

Hsiao said leftover funds allocated for the therapeutic van should go to other programs, such as advanced provider response units.

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Ruben Vives

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March 7, 2024
Don't let your Christmas tree become a fire hazard. Recycle it now. Here's how

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Now that St. Nick has delivered his Christmas gifts, it’s your job to toss the discarded wrapping paper, cardboard boxes and ribbons and vacuum up the tinsel scattered around the house.

As for the wilting yuletide pine that has been shedding needles for days, you have several options for disposing of it.

Fire officials warn that dry Christmas trees can pose a fire hazard so don’t put off your disposal chore for too long.

Within the city of Los Angeles, Los Angeles Sanitation and Environment is offering curbside collection for Christmas tree recycling through the end of January, according to the city’s website.

Several options are available for scheduling a pickup, such as creating a ticket on the MYLA311 website, submitting a ticket request on the L.A. Sanitation and Environment homepage, or calling the 24-hour customer service line at (800) 773-2489.

Before your tree can be hauled away, the sanitation department requires the removal of all decorations, tinsel and stands. Additionally, you need to cut the trees into pieces, place them in the green bin and set them out for regular collection on trash day.

Residents of multifamily buildings can place trees on the curb for regularly scheduled collection days.

The city will not accept artificial trees and trees layered in fake snow for recycling. If your tree is covered in fake snow, you should put it in the black trash can designated for landfill disposal.

The city’s sanitation department uses recycled Christmas trees to produce compost and mulch, which residents can obtain for free.

If you want to drop off your tree for mulching, the city offers two locations.

The Gaffey Street SAFE Center at 1400 N. Gaffey St. in San Pedro will accept trees from Jan. 2 to Jan. 31, Monday through Sunday, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Lopez Canyon Environmental Education Center in Lake View Terrace will accept trees on the same dates and hours.

The Los Angeles Fire Department urges people to immediately remove and recycle natural trees. The department warns that dry Christmas needles can turn a small fire into an inferno in less than 7 seconds.

In addition to the mulching facilities, you can also drop your trees off at 13 Los Angeles city fire department stations until Jan. 12. Participating stations include:

108 N. Fremont Ave., 90012 — Civic Center / Bunker Hill

1192 E. 51st St., 90011 — South Los Angeles

11641 Corbin Ave., 91326 — Porter Ranch

4029 Wilshire Blvd., 90010 — Hancock Park

1005 N. Gaffey St., 90731 — North San Pedro

1410 Cypress Ave., 90065 — Cypress Park

10811 S. Main St., 90061 — South Los Angeles

1801 E. Century Blvd., 90002 — Watts

9224 Sunland Blvd., 91352 — Sun Valley

14355 Arminta St., 91402 — Panorama City

5101 N. Sepulveda Blvd., 91403 — Sherman Oaks

4470 Coliseum St., 90016 — South Los Angeles

23004 Roscoe Blvd., 91304 — West Hills

Several L.A. recreation centers and parks will also offer a one-day drop-off event on Jan. 7, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The locations include: the Los Angeles Zoo parking lot; the Rancho Cienega Recreation Center in Baldwin Hills; the Balboa Sports Center in Encino; the Cheviot Hills Recreation Center in Rancho Park; Sunland Park near Sun Valley; and the Westchester Municipal Building near the Los Angeles International Airport.

Long Beach

The Long Beach Public Works Department is offering its annual “Treecycling” disposal program for residents until Jan. 12. The city has a dozen free drop-off locations available Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on the weekends from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

If you are unable to drop off your old tree, the city will pick up it for one day only on Jan. 13. Long Beach residents must place their trees on the curb by 7 a.m.

Don’t forget to remove all decorations and stands and cut any tree over 12 feet in half. Flocked trees will be accepted.

Santa Monica

Santa Monica’s holiday tree collection will run until Jan. 31. The city advises residents to place bare trees on the curbside or alleys ready for pickup and to avoid placing trees in parking lots or parks. Calling 311 is not necessary for tree pickup.

Pasadena

Pasadena offers curbside pickup for bare trees to all solid waste customers on their regularly scheduled trash days from Jan. 2 to Jan. 16.

If you prefer to drop off your Christmas trees, locations are open daily from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Eaton Blanche Park and Robinson Park until Jan. 2.

Newport Beach

Residents of Newport Beach have until Jan. 15 to place their cut-up trees in the green recycling bins. The local sanitation company, CR&R Environmental Services, requests that all ornaments, tinsel, lights and tree stands be removed.

Artificial trees and those with fake snow should be placed in black trash bins in Newport Beach, as they will not be recycled.

Laguna Beach

In Laguna Beach, Waste Management will for the next three weeks collect and recycle holiday trees. Trees taller than 6 feet must be cut in half and placed on the curb during a regular collection day.

Waste Management transports the trees to Tierra Verde Industries in Irvine for composting.

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Anthony De Leon

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December 26, 2023
Baby girl found dead outdoors near LAX

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A 1-year-old girl was found dead Friday morning near Los Angeles International Airport, officials said.

Personnel from the Los Angeles Fire Department responded to the area of South Sepulveda Boulevard and West Century Boulevard, near the entrance to the airport, just before 9:40 a.m. for a reported medical emergency.

Emergency personnel found the infant, who was not breathing, and tried unsuccessfully to resuscitate her.

The 1-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. The incident remains under investigation, but police officials said they had found “nothing nefarious” as of Friday evening.

Police did not say whether the child was with family, caretakers or alone when she was found.

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Christian Martinez

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December 22, 2023
Firefighters quickly extinguish blaze at LAX

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Firefighters on Saturday knocked down a fire that broke out at a one-story building on the south side of Los Angeles International Airport, officials said.

A spokesperson for the Los Angeles Fire Department said 38 firefighters knocked down the attic fire in 40 minutes. They responded to the scene just after 11 a.m. No injuries were reported.

It’s unclear what the building was used for, but officials said there were no passengers inside and all employees had exited before the Fire Department arrived.

Video on social media showed smoke billowing from the building. Fire officials reported no impact on airport traffic and safety.

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Alene Tchekmedyian

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December 9, 2023
Massive fire destroys several South L.A. homes in ‘a blink of an eye’; 3 injured

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Over 100 firefighters battled a “city-block-sized” fire that destroyed multiple homes in South Los Angeles early Tuesday, displacing families and injuring at least three people, fire officials said.

Around 3:20 a.m., crews responding to the 1500 block of East Vernon Avenue in Central-Alameda found an apartment building under construction engulfed in flames and downed power lines, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. Neighboring residents were awakened and told to evacuate as firefighters defended the surrounding buildings.

A 66-year-old man and a 64-year-old woman were taken to a hospital for serious burns, and a 30-year-old man was evaluated at the scene but declined to be taken by paramedics for further treatment, according to authorities.

Nearby residents were evacuated due to the massive fire, which spread to seven other buildings, five of them a total loss.

(Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

Seven buildings were damaged in the fire, and five are considered a total loss, the Fire Department said. The American Red Cross and the Los Angeles Emergency Management Department are assisting 17 people whose homes were destroyed.

It took 140 firefighters 78 minutes to put out the fire, with some firefighters from the Los Angeles County Fire Department called in to assist.

Arson investigators are on the scene as part of the city’s protocol for structure fires, but the cause of the fire is still under investigation and it’s not clear when authorities will make a determination, LAFD spokesperson Margaret Stewart said. The blaze tore quickly through the open-sided wooden frame of the building that was under construction.

“When you have a building that’s in the framing stages, it’s going to burn hot and fast because you have all of the wood exposed and nothing stops; there’s no compartmentalization,” Stewart said. “There’s nothing that stops the flame so it goes up very hot, very fast, which then exposes anything that’s around it.”

Gerardo Diaz, 30, heard his father screaming in the early morning. That’s when he saw the flames outside their home.

Diaz dragged his father, whose mobility is limited from a previous stroke, out of the house.

“When we came out the door, we already had the flames on our porch,” Diaz said after the fire was put out. “I don’t know — it’s just like a blink of an eye. All of a sudden it burned down.”

Half of the house burned down and his truck was damaged, Diaz said, but he was grateful that his family was able to escape relatively unharmed. “The heat was so hot,” his 12-year-old niece, Kimberly Erendira, said.

Raymon Chaidec, 58, woke up around 3 a.m. to booms and yells outside his house. He looked out the window and saw an out-of-control fire towering above the utility poles on his street.

“It was way up there, even taller than the poles that you see are now burned,” he said, motioning his hands to the sky.

Chaidec raced out of the house with his daughter, and they watched from their driveway as the fire engulfed the construction site across the street and encroached onto their property.

“We were ready to run,” he said. “We were scared when we saw the fire get a little close to our house, but nothing was damaged. We are so, so lucky.”

Aaron Vazquez, 28, heard explosions and felt his home vibrating. He looked out the window and saw orange, but didn’t think it was a fire.

“I thought it was an ambulance,” Vazquez said. “I look out the kitchen window and all I see are flames. There were dogs in the back, from the neighbors in the back, that were whimpering and crying.”

Firefighters douse the smoldering wreckage of the apartment building that was under construction.

(Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

Vazquez was able to get his family out of the home but went back inside for his cat. Intense heat radiated from the fire burning next door as he searched for his cat, which he eventually found.

“It was a huge inferno,” he said.

Vazquez’s home was not destroyed, but he thinks there was some water and smoke damage. The sides of adjacent homes were burned from the heat that radiated off the fire at the construction site.

Several hours after the fire started, neighbors watched from the sidewalk as crews demolished the ruins of the building that had been under construction. A bulldozer knocked over the remaining charred wooden planks to prevent any of the wood from smoldering, LAFD Capt. Carlos Caceres said, after crews convinced city officials that the building was beyond repair.

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Nathan Solis, Irfan Khan, Ashley Ahn, Karen Garcia

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November 28, 2023
Santa Ana winds lead to parking restrictions in Los Angeles amid fire concerns

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Parking restrictions are in effect in parts of Los Angeles where fire officials have determined that roads need to be clear for potential evacuations — the latest precaution against possible wildfires as strong Santa Ana winds hit Southern California.

A red flag warning for Los Angeles and Ventura counties will last through at least Monday, with rapid spread expected if a fire were to start, fanned by gusts of 40 to 60 miles an hour and as high as 70 miles an hour in some spots according to the National Weather Service.

Early Sunday, winds reached 70 miles an hour at Boney Mountain in the Santa Monica Mountains and 83 miles an hour at Magic Mountain Truck Trail near Santa Clarita.

Southern California Edison officials have warned that precautionary power shutoffs could be necessary to prevent fires.

In Calabasas, officials said that Southern California Edison, which provides power to most of the city, could implement a public safety power shutoff “for virtually ALL circuits” there on Sunday because of the strong winds. “Downed power lines can ignite dry brush and cause wildfires,” the city said on X, formerly known as Twitter.

In Los Angeles, vehicles may be towed in areas where parked cars could pose a problem for firefighters or for evacuees needing to get out of the city quickly, such as very narrow roads, hairpin turns, tight curves and intersections that could create “a choke point,” according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.

Drivers can type an address into the fire department’s website to see if the red flag parking restrictions, which are in effect until at least Monday morning, apply.

In parts of the Antelope Valley, Salinas Valley and San Luis Obispo County, residents will also be dealing with cold temperatures. Those areas are under a freeze warning, with temperatures as low as 25 degrees expected Monday and Tuesday.

Weather officials advise that people facing freeze warnings bring their animals inside, protect sensitive crops and keep a windshield scraper handy.

Parts of the Bay Area, including the San Mateo Coast and Santa Clara Hills, are also facing powerful winds and red flag warnings this weekend.

“People need to just be careful right now with anything that could ignite a fire, because if it gets started in the right spot, it has the potential to spread very quickly,” said Rich Thompson, a meteorologist with the Los Angeles/Oxnard National Weather Service office.

Activities that should be avoided include tossing cigarettes out of moving vehicles and leaving a campfire smoldering, Thompson said.

Last fall, strong Santa Ana winds and red flag warnings downed trees and left thousands of Southern Californians without power during the Thanksgiving holiday.

“This is a very typical Santa Ana event. It’s nothing unusual for this time of the year,” Thompson said.

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Mackenzie Mays

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October 29, 2023
8 Children Treated for Possibly Taking Marijuana Gummies at LA School – Medical Marijuana Program Connection

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An elementary school classroom in Orange, Calif., on March 11, 2021. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

SUN VALLEY, Calif.—Eight school-aged patients were treated March 15 for sudden illness at Sun Valley Magnet School after possibly ingesting marijuana edibles.

The Los Angeles Fire Department responded around 1:20 p.m. to the school at 7330 N. Bakman Avenue and evaluated the patients, described as both boys and girls between the ages of 12 and 16. Five were taken to hospitals, while the other three were evaluated and released to their parents.

Fire officials said the illnesses appeared to be “related to their ingestion of chewable marijuana ‘gummies.’”

According to the fire department, all eight patients were discovered on the school campus, but “a confirmation of how each may be affiliated with the campus remains a matter for [Los Angeles Unified School District] officials.”

Original Author Link click here to read complete story..

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MMP News Author

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March 15, 2023