Fire Blotter: A Transformer Explosion And Arson

The responded to a variety of emergency calls during the week of July 31 through August 6.  The following is a breakdown of incident types for this period:

Incident Type                   
Fires: 2
Explosion: 1
EMS/Rescues: 47
Hazardous Materials: 2
Good Intent Calls: 8
Service Calls: 6
False Alarms: 14
Total Incident Count: 80

August 2

Engine 105 responded to a transformer fire at 3:50 p.m. in the 100 block of Santa Clara Avenue. The fire caused a in the area. Witnesses said they heard two explosions and saw a large flame shoot out from an underground vault. The flames ignited nearby shrubs and grass. The explosion caused the manhole cover to blow off of the vault. Firefighters secured area and extinguished the vegetation fire. Southern California Edison arrived on scene to further evaluate the situation.

August 5

Two teenagers caused a smal grass fire while lighting fireworks on the basketball court of Foothills Middle School. At 6:53 p.m., Engine 107, Engine 105, Rescue Ambulance 105, and Battalion 105 — along with Monrovia and Pasadena units and officers — arrived at the scene. A passerby had advised the teenagers to stop when they threw the lit fireworks into the brush. The passerby ran to a nearby house on Valencia and called 911. The homeowner and passerby then extinguished the fire and detained the teenagers until police arrived. E107 wet down the burned grass area with foam and turned the investigation over to the Arson Unit.