Wilmington explosion: 1 firefighter intubated in burn center
LOS ANGELES - Nine firefighters are recovering Friday after they were injured, two critically, when a 100-gallon compressed natural gas cylinder being used to power a semi-truck exploded near the Port of Los Angeles in Wilmington.
Firefighters were sent to the 1100 block of North Alameda Street shortly before 7 a.m. Thursday on a report of a vehicle fire, according to Los Angeles Fire Department Capt. Erik Scott, who addressed reporters at a news conference late Thursday morning at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center in Torrance.
"When we arrived on scene, we had a semi-truck -- and it was a tractor, no trailer -- that was on fire," Scott said.
"The truck was not powered by the usual fuel like diesel or gasoline; it was a clean-air vehicle," Scott said. "It was powered by compressed natural gas, or CNG. So, it had two 100-gallon tanks that are under 3,300 pounds of pressure; and those tanks are mounted on each side of the vehicle to power it."
Ten firefighters had been deployed in the firefighting effort "per usual protocol," Scott said.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Video captures Wilmington gas explosion that injured 9 firefighters
"However, six minutes after arriving on scene, one of those CNG tanks exploded, and it tragically injured nine of our members, two of them critically," Scott said.
Scott said the woman driving the truck had "noticed some abnormalities of the tanks" and got out of the vehicle and called 911. The woman, who was not injured, remained on scene and cooperated with investigators, Scott said.
Scott said two firefighters were critically injured, four suffered "moderate" injuries and three suffered minor injuries. The cause of the blast was under investigation.
About 150 firefighting personnel were sent to the scene to handle the aftermath of the blast, including hazardous-materials specialists. Firefighters and law enforcement personnel set up a 500-foot radius around the site of the blast as a precaution.
The gas in the second cylinder was slowly released into the air, and much of it had dissipated by late morning. No evacuations were ordered of nearby homes, although residents were advised to stay indoors as a precaution.
"Today is a day, I think, where all of us can take a moment to recognize how intrinsically dangerous firefighting can be," said LAFD Chief Kristin Crowley.
One of the critically injured firefighters received burn treatment at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center and was then airlifted to Los Angeles General Hospital for further treatment, Crowley said. That firefighter was intubated Friday.
Crowley said a "Significant Incident Review Team" would investigate the incident.
"This team is highly trained, and it will look at every single aspect of this incident and gather the opportunities for improvement and lessons learned," Crowley said.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: 9 firefighters hurt in Wilmington explosion
Crowley said she had spent some time Friday morning with the injured firefighters.
"I've taken the opportunity to meet with every single one of our nine members, and to look at them and their faces was something that I will never forget," Crowley said.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass accompanied LAFD personnel and other officials at the news conference.
"I'm here with a simple message to our firefighters in the building behind me, and at fire stations across our city, watching the news this morning unfold: the 4 million people of Los Angeles stand with you," Bass said.
"While Angelenos were barely waking up and making their first cup of coffee, our LAFD firefighters were courageously responding to this blaze -- putting their lives on the line to protect each one of us, as they do every single day."
Dr. Molly Deane of Harbor UCLA Medical Center said the firefighters who were injured in the explosion suffered various levels of burn and blast injuries, and she noted that after seeing video of the explosion, "Frankly it's remarkable none of them were more severely injured."
Fire officials said the explosion sent a large plume of smoke into the air, and the force of the blast even caused a nearby pole-mounted electrical transformer to explode.
According to the LAFD, no evacuations were ordered of nearby homes, although residents were advised to stay indoors as a precaution.
An LAFD official reminded the public that it is illegal to fly drones within 500 feet of an emergency incident "without clearance," and he urged motorists to seek alternate routes around the explosion area.