Potentially Catastrophic Outcome Averted In Los Altos (Bellflower/Stearns) At Predawn (Oct. 16) As LB Firefighters Arrive To Find Gasoline Tanker's Driver Cab On Fire As It Offloads Gasoline; Firefighters At Real Risk As They Extinguished Blaze, Then Cooled The Area
Councilman Supernaw reported this morning's event in his weekly newsletter, with photo he took and email he received from LBFD Battalion Chief
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(Oct. 16, 2015, 7:45 p.m.) -- While families in ELB's Los Altos neighborhood slept in the predawn hours today (Oct. 16), Long Beach Firefighters confronted and -- at real risk to themselves -- averted a potentially catastrophic outcome in responding to the area of Bellflower Blvd./Stearns St. where they found the driver's cab to a gasoline tanker -- loaded with the combustible exposive material -- on fire and heavily involved with flames while offloading the gasoline at a service station in the 2200 block of Bellflower Blvd.
The situation developed at about 3:30 a.m. (Oct. 16) and news of the incident first came to light at late afternoon via 4th district Councilman Daryl Supernaw weekly emailed newsletter (at this link.)
The Councilman's newsletter included the photo above and the text of the email he received from LBFD Battalion Chief Espino:
[LBFD BC Espino text] LBFD resources responded to reports of a gasoline tanker fire 2200 Blk of Bellflower Blvd. (Council District 4). First arriving engine observed tractor with heavy fire involvement.
Tractor was attached to gasoline tanker, which was offloading at gas station.
Fire personnel made immediate fire attack and quickly extinguished tractor fire. No injuries were reported. Damage confined to tractor.
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Councilman Supernaw added in his own words in his newsletter: "This obviously had the potential for being a lot worse, and LBFD did not take any chances in deploying equipment. Dispatched to the scene were: Engine 22, Engine 14, Engine 4, Truck 17, Rescue 10, Foam 12, HazMat 24, Arson Unit 1 and Battalion Chief 2 for total of 28 fire personnel. I was told at the scene, this morning, that the preliminary investigation indicates the fire was likely started by an 'electrical problem' under the hood of the tractor."
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LBFD Public Information Officer/Firefighter Brian Fisk told LBREPORT.com that after the flames were extinguished, fire personnel conducted cooling operations to ensure the incident ended safely.
We asked PIO Fisk if it's fair to say that the firefighters who responded on this were at real risk as they fought this blaze? "Yes," he said. How important was a swift response on this? "Extremely important, especially considering what might have happened."
One can only imagine the chain of events if the tanker's load had caught fire and exploded...in a gasoline station.
