Los Angeles (City)- Vault Explosion w/ LODD 3-26-08 (Incident Discsussion Thread)

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http://www.emtbravowest.com/index.php?showtopic=996

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As of 1600hrs, media agencies reporting the 2 injured FF's to be in critical condition. Unknown further.

Thoughts and prayers are with the injured FF's, their families, and the LAFD.

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Injuries reportedly occured during a secondary explosion during the investigation. 1 FF was flown to Daniel Freeman Hospital in Critical Condition, 1 other FF transported, also critical. Several civilian injuries reported as well.

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LAFD PIO now reporting 1 FF deceased LODD, 1 FF critical condition. Thoughts and prayers.

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Thoughts and prayers for the brother who passed on and for the brother who is critical.........

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LAFD OFFICIAL PRELIMINARY STATEMENT http://lafd.blogspot.com/2008/03/los-angel...ed-in-line.html

LAFD Official Coverage: http://lafd.blogspot.com

EMTBravo West IA: http://www.emtbravowest.com/index.php?showtopic=996

[RescueKujo 130]

Per media on the 10 o'clock news tonight...

Incident started with an explosion in an underground vault blowing a DWP manhole cover over 10 feet from the manhole. As units were arriving, a 2nd vault exploded causing another manhole to blow. Engine 95 arrivedas part of the assignment and was tasked to investigate smoke from an business building near the 2 vaults. It appears that as the members of Engine Co 95 were attempting to open an electrical vault within the building when it exploded. The investigation is continuing at this time. Engine 95 has not been moved and is within the investigation scene (2215 PDT).

May God watch over the Fallen's soul. Prayers and condolences to their family.

[RescueKujo 130]

Names have been offically released....

From LAFD Blog Spot

Firefighter Brent A. Lovrien, age 35, a 10 year veteran of the LAFD assigned to the 'A' Platoon at Fire Station 95 since October 2005, died shortly after arrival at the Centinela Freeman Regional Medical Center, Marina Campus.

Engineer Anthony J. Guzman, age 48, an 18 year veteran of the LAFD assigned to the 'A' Platoon at Fire Station 95 since February 2002, suffered multiple fractures and facial trauma. He was transported to the UCLA Medical Center in Westwood, where he remains in serious but stable condition following surgery.

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I started a thread in In Memoriam to post condolencemessages to be forarded to Firefighter Lovbrien's Family ad the LAFD.

Here's te link:

http://www.emtbravo.net/index.php?s=&s...st&p=130122

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RIP Bother thoughts and prayers to the families!!

[ENG47INE 17]

RIP

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OFFICIAL LAFD NEWS RELEASE:

For Updated Information Please Refer to http://www.lafd.org/blog.htm

Explosion With Firefighter Fatality

8800 S. Sepulveda Bl.

Playa Del Rey

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

TIME: 2:20 PM

INCIDENT #: 0692

On Wednesday, March 26, 2008 at 1:57 PM, 15 Companies of Los Angeles Firefighters, 5 LAFD Rescue Ambulances, 6 Arson Units, 1 Urban Search and Rescue Unit, 1 Rehab Unit, 2 Helicopters, 3 EMS Battalion Captains, 3 Battalion Chief Officer Command Teams, 1 Division Chief Officer Command Team, 1 Command Post vehicle, Emergency Lighting, and a variety of other support staff, all under the direction of Deputy Chief Mario Rueda responded to an Explosion at 8800 S. Sepulveda Bl. in Playa Del Rey.

It is with great sadness that the men and women of the Los Angeles Fire Department share word of one, City of Los Angeles Firefighter dying today in the line of duty. Firefighters were summoned to investigate smoke in the 8800 block of South Sepulveda Boulevard in the Westchester area of Los Angeles - not far from Los Angeles International Airport.

As firefighters arrived, they discovered a manhole cover blown loose from an underground electrical vault. The area was cordoned off, restricting civilian access to protect the lives of bystanders should another blast occur. Approximately 15 minutes after arrival, another manhole blast occurred , creating additional concerns from the incident commander.

At approximately 2:20 PM, additional Firefighters were dispatched to an office building several hundred feet down the street on a reported structure fire. Upon arrival, Firefighters entered the building to investigate the source of the smoke. While attempting to enter a locked utility room, an major explosion occurred, causing severe injuries to two male Firefighters and minor injuries to one civilian An immediate request was made for two air ambulance's to transport the critically injured Firefighters to local hospitals.

Firefighter Brent A. Lovrien, age 35, a 10 year veteran of the LAFD assigned to the 'A' Platoon at Fire Station 95 since October 2005, died shortly after arrival at the Centinela Freeman Regional Medical Center, Marina Campus. Engineer Anthony J. Guzman, age 48, an 18 year veteran of the LAFD assigned to the 'A' Platoon at Fire Station 95 since February 2002, suffered multiple fractures and facial trauma. He was transported to the UCLA Medical Center in Westwood, where he remains in serious but stable condition following surgery.

Preliminary reports indicate the two incidents were related. The civilian was treated at the scene and released. As dictated by Fire Department policy, a formal and detailed multi-agency investigation is underway to determine the exact nature of the explosion, as well as the precise cause and manner of the Firefighters death. The dollar loss is still being tabulated.

Ron Myers

Firefighter/Specialist

Public Service Officer

E.P.I. Center

Los Angeles Fire Department

200 North Main Street, Room OCD-E423

Los Angeles, CA 90012 USA

Fax: (213) 485-2708

LAFD E-Mail: Ron.Myers@lacity.org

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http://www.latimes.com/media/photo/2008-03/37223297.jpg

(Jon Palos / For The Los Angeles Times)

Colleagues treat L.A. City Firefighter Brent A. Lovrien, left, and Engineer Anthony J. Guzman moments after an explosion rocked the Westchester business district.

*WARNING: GRAPHIC PHOTO.

[jack10562 414]

What likely happened here is an underground electric cable burn-out produced copious amounts of Carbon Monoxide gas from the smoldering cable and insulation. These underground cables can sometimes "burn" for hours, undetected, until the smoke vents.

This gas then travels through the underground utility cable ducts, through vaults and manholes and in many cases into buildings connected to these subsurface structures.

CO gas is not only lethal to inhale in low concentrations,( 0.16% = 1600 PPM, can kill in under one hour ) but CO is also extremely flammable.

CO has a flammable (explosive) range between (LEL) 12.5 to (UEL) 74 percent, in air. It has an ignition point of 1128 degrees F.

For comparison, the flammable range for Natural gas, is 5 to 15 percent.

CO gas ignition is almost always what causes electric manholes to explode.

My observation (this is NOT a Bash): Had the crew used a meter and sampled the atmosphere in the area for the presence of combustible gases, this might have gone a different direction.

Any spark produced from a power saw blade can easily exceed the ignition temperature.

If the gas / air ratios are within the explosive range, the rest is history.

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Thanks for the info, Jack! Things like that is why I really like this forum-learning from one another.

Anyways, here's the prelimary report, from the LAFD blog

Dear Friend of the LAFD,

The following is an updated summary of the events surrounding the death of Los Angeles Firefighter Brent Lovrien, and includes a statement regarding the investigation by Battalion Chief John Miller. For the latest information, we encourage you to visit and bookmark:

http://lafd.blogspot.com/2008/03/los-angel...ed-in-line.html

http://lafd.blogspot.com/2008/03/memorial-...for-fallen.html

Additional updates are anticipated in the coming days.

===================================

Preliminary Review...

On Wednesday, March 26, 2008 at 1:57 PM Los Angeles Firefighters were summoned to investigate a "smell of smoke" inside an office supply store at 8540 South Sepulveda Boulevard in the Westchester area of Los Angeles - not far from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).

LAFD Engine 5 arrived at 2:03 pm and reported an underground electrical vault explosion in front of the location, and that they would handle the situation.

At 2:16 PM, Engine 5 reported a second underground electrical vault explosion and requested additional Fire Department resources for the new incident at 8800 South Sepulveda Boulevard.

At 2:23 pm, Los Angeles Fire Department dispatchers received a telephone call reporting a structure fire at the site of the second explosion.

Engine 5, already on scene at the 8800 South Sepulveda Boulevard location, initially reported no evidence of fire. One minute later, they reported fire in a locked room, and to keep all resources responding.

Engine 95 arrived soon thereafter to investigate the source of the smoke in the locked room, an approximately 7 foot wide by 4 foot deep electrical/storage closet on the southeast, first floor corner of the two story structure.

As the Engine 95 crew sought to access the locked room, later determined to contain electrical utility meters for the building, a severe explosion occurred, causing injury to two Firefighters and one civilian.

- LAFD Firefighter Brent Lovrien

Firefighter Brent A. Lovrien, age 35, a 10 year veteran of the LAFD assigned to the 'A' Platoon at Fire Station 95 since October 2005, died shortly after arrival at the Centinela Freeman Regional Medical Center, Marina Campus.

- LAFD Engineer Anthony Guzman

Engineer Anthony J. Guzman, age 48, an 18 year veteran of the LAFD assigned to the 'A' Platoon at Fire Station 95 since February 2002, suffered multiple fractures and facial trauma. He was transported to the UCLA Medical Center in Westwood, and following surgery, was listed in serious but stable condition.

The civilian was treated at the scene and released.

As dictated by Fire Department policy, a formal and detailed multi-agency investigation has sought to determine the exact nature of the explosion, as well as the precise cause and manner of Firefighter Lovrien's death.

***The following is a statement by and attributable to LAFD Battalion Chief John Miller***

==================

"Based on our investigation, which included physical examination, numerous interviews, and the collection of physical evidence, has determined that the explosion at 8800 S. Sepulveda was the result of a fire that originated in the electrical vault located at the intersection of Sepulveda and La Tijera.

Various witnesses reported smelling odors as early as 10:00 am. It is our opinion that the fire was a result of a ground fault in an electrical conduit that was feed out of the underground vault. This ground fault resulted in a fire within the vault, which pressurized the vault with unburned products of combustion. This material, traveled through the conduit transmission corridors, approximately 250 feet that caused the initial explosion at the underground electrical vault located in front of Staples. Witnesses report the access cover of the vault traveling upwards of 20 feet in the air.

The resulting pressure from this explosion causes smoke to travel back down the corridors to the electrical vault at Sepulveda and La Tijera. During this time, smoke is traveling in all directions and follows the underground electrical conduit to the electrical room at 8800 Sepulveda. This combustible smoke accumulated in the confined area of the electrical room. When Firefighter Lovrien attempted entry into the room, a spark was generated when the composite blade of the rotary saw struck the locking mechanism of the door.

There was no evidence of any fire, electrical problem, natural gas leak or incendiary devices found in the room. Investigators have concluded that unburned combustible gases, from a fire in the electrical vault located in the street at the front of the building, accumulated in the electrical room. These products of combustion reached its explosive limit and was ignited by a spark from the forcible entry attempts."