Crews Search For Human Remains In Aftermath Of Major SFV Fire

NORTH HILLS, CA — Crews were searching for human remains in the aftermath of a major fire that destroyed a vacant commercial building and displaced 27 people from an adjacent apartment building on Tuesday night.

Firefighters responded to a fire at a boarded-up, two-story commercial building on the 15200 block of W. Parthenia Street, west of Burnet Avenue in North Hills, at around 5:45 p.m. Arriving units encountered the building with heavy fire showing and an adjacent 41-unit apartment building exposed to the flames, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.

Additional crews were called in.

"Due to the volume of fire and compromised floors within the building, Incident Commander, Battalion Chief Scott Hilton, directed a defensive operation on the fire unit and an offensive operation to defend the exposed, four-story apartment building," the LAFD said in a release.

"Crews deployed ladder pipes and master streams to contain the blaze. Access to the seat of the fire was restricted until a roof collapse allowed water streams to reach the interior," the LAFD added.

Firefighters conducted a floor-by-floor sweep of the apartment building and assisted people evacuating.

Paramedics evaluated three patients: Two women were transported to a local hospital in fair condition for unspecified medical complaints. The third woman declined transportation, the LAFD said.

The apartment building did not have significant structural damage, but three of the apartments were yellow tagged, indicating restricted access due to safety concerns. That led to the displacement of six adults, 21 children and six pet turtles, the LAFD said.

The city Department of Transportation provided buses for temporary shelter, while the Housing Authority and American Red Cross responded to assist with food and relocation needs, the LAFD said.

It took over 100 firefighters around two hours to extinguish the majority of the blaze.

The Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety was expected to red-tag the commercial building as unsafe for occupancy, with potential demolition scheduled for Wednesday morning.

Authorities on Wednesday morning brought to the scene dogs that are trained to detect human remains. The dogs and their handlers searched the damaged commercial building, according to the LAFD.

The dogs "showed interest" in an area that firefighters were unable to access. Authorities noted that does not mean a human body was located; the dogs can sense human blood, bone or tissue.

Crews responded by "strategically demolishing the structure so the debris can be searched and cleared," the LAFD said.

Per protocol, the arson and counterterrorism investigators are investigating the cause of the fire.