Illegal Fireworks Destroy Northridge Apartment Building

NORTHRIDGE, CA — 50 Northridge residents were displaced after a fire destroyed half of an apartment building complex Saturday.

At 9:20 p.m., the Los Angeles Fire Department responded to a call for a structure fire at a two-story, 16-unit apartment complex at the 8600 block of North Wilbur Avenue in Northridge.

The LAFD Arson and Counter-Terrorism Section have determined that the fire was started by nearby illegal fireworks that hit a nearby palm trees. Palm trees are considered fire hazards because the dead fronds that attach to the tree are highly flammable.

81 firefighters arrived to find fire coming out of the complex’s second floor. Crews knocked down the tree fire, and spent 43 minutes battling the raging fire.

Five people were treated for injuries, and paramedics took three residents to a nearby hospital to treat smoke-related respiratory difficulties.

Just after 10 p.m., the fire was declared a knockdown. One of the two buildings in the complex was completely destroyed, losing eight units. 50 residents have been displaced, and the Red Cross Los Angeles has been providing immediate assistance.

“I lost everything,” resident Ericka Rivera tearfully told CBS News. “All the memories – pictures, everything.”

A GoFundMe page has been set up to help one of the families rebuild.

A combination of hot weather, polluted air, and illegal fireworks made July 4 one of the busiest days ever for the Los Angeles Fire Department. According to spokesperson Margaret Stewart, the LAFD responds to an average of just under 1,400 calls. On Saturday, it responded to 1,739 calls for service.

The Los Angeles County Fire Department also responded to 1,676 calls for service, compared to a typical average of 1,100 to 1,200 calls, according to spokesperson Sky Cornell.

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