Firefighters Battle Two Blazes

By Lookout Staff

December 11, 2009 -- Santa Monica Firefighters put out two blazes Wednesday afternoon that started within four hours of each other, fire officials said.

Firefighters responded to the first fire in the attic of a single family home at 1334 Ashland at 12:50 p.m., said Brad Graham, the Fire Department spokesman.

Twenty seven Santa Monica firefighters, assisted by the Los Angeles City Fire Department, extinguished the fire by 2:16 p.m., officials said.

"Extinguishing the fire was made particularly difficult because of a metal clad roof in place on the structure," Graham said.

None of the occupants was injured, but one firefighter was treated at the scene for heat exhaustion, officials said.

The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.

Nineteen firefighters responded to a second fire in an apartment unit at 1128 10th Street at 4:38 p.m.

They found that a wall heater fire on the second story of a two-story apartment complex had communicated up the wall and into the attic, fire officials said.

"Firefighters made quick work of the fire, achieving a knockdown in approximately 10 minutes after arrival," Graham said.

The Red Cross provided shelter to the two displaced occupants of the damaged unit, he said.

Battalion Chief Jose Torres commanded the fire crews that battled both blazes.