A two-story home on Toland Way caught fire Sunday, Feb. 4. There were no injuries, but the property was destroyed. Firefighters from Station 55 of the LA Fire Department (LAFD) responded to a report of a structure fire at 4404 East Toland Way to find both floors of the building engulfed in flames. According to Captain Andrew Shafer of the LAFD’s Station 55, they responded to the call at 11:36 a.m. and were not able to leave the scene until around 4 p.m., as the house, situated in a difficult-to-access spot, posed challenges for running hoses from hydrants.
“Access was one of our biggest challenges,” Capt. Shafer said. “We had two cars parked in front of the address and we weren’t able to get an optimum spot.”
Nathan Hall (senior) said he lives near the home that caught fire and that the neighborhood is close to LAFD Station 55. According to Hall, he walked outside to observe the fire and the station’s response after he saw two fire trucks drive by. Hall said that the firefighters were efficient despite the logistical challenges, but that witnessing the fire was still quite shocking.
“They have a station literally two blocks away,” Hall said. “It took them a while to get all the rigging and the hoses up. Since the response was so fast, I wasn’t concerned. It was just, like, ‘Wow, that happened across the street’. You don’t see it every day.”
Campbell Gilbert (senior), Hall’s roommate and a senior, said she witnessed the fire alongside Hall but stayed indoors most of the day due to the weather. Despite finding the large LAFD presence shocking, Gilbert said she felt reassured that the fire would be swiftly managed and didn’t worry much, understanding the problematic location’s need for such a response.
“The entire street was just clogged with firetrucks,” Gilbert said.
Capt. Shafer said that firefighters initially pumped water into the structure through the fire engine’s attached gun until they could deploy handheld hoses, eventually reducing the fire enough to enter the building via the front door, only to find the stairs burnt out and the rest of the house inaccessible. According to Capt. Shafer, they were soon ordered back out by their battalion commander and after several hours of monitoring to prevent fire spread or reignition, the firefighters departed the scene, while the LAFD Media Relations department reported ongoing investigation into the cause. Capt. Shafer said that art supplies stored in the home might have exacerbated the fire.
“It was a really tough fire, the amount and volume of fire was pretty extensive,” Capt. Shafer said. “They had a lot of artwork that had oil-based [paint] on the canvas, so I think that contributed to the fire and the rapid spread.”
According to Capt. Shafer, the building residents were put in contact with the Red Cross and provided with a Los Angeles SAVE (Supplying Aid to Victims of Emergency) card.
“All battalion commanders have it,” Shafer said of the SAVE program cards. “Whenever someone’s house is devastated, they’re able to give them this card and it helps them to get a room for the night and any food they might need.”
Contact Jay Ward at jward3@oxy.edu
