West Hollywood, California (January 19, 2009) - West Hollywood firemen doused an apartment fire that destroyed one unit and made five others unlivable Sunday, reviving two lifeless pets in the aftermath. 
Photo by WeHo News - West Hollywood’s ONLY Newspaper, ONLY ONLINE! |
A plugged in laptop left on a carpet while the tenant walked her dog exploded into flames at 1169 Orange Grove Avenue in WeHo around 5:00 pm Sunday evening, said Station 7 Captain Ric Brandelli.
He told WeHo News that his men located a yellow lab and black tabby on their secondary search of the premises, both apparently overcome with smoke inhalation.
After removing the pair to the street, paramedics began what seemed, initially, to be futile efforts to revive them.
“We worked on them for quite a while, and it didn’t look like they would make it” said Capt. Brandelli, “and then the cat began breathing on its own and ran away.”
He said his cohort turned its attentions to the dog, a 16-yr old, again with no results to show for precious minutes.
Then, to everyone’s relief, “the dog started breathing on its own and stood up to walk around,” he said.
The cat and dog resided with the woman whose laptop began the conflagration.
Capt. Brandelli said that she was not present for the cat’s resuscitation, but witnessed the dog’s.
“No words can describe the relief in the lady’s expression,” he said. As a pet guardian and animal lover himself, (see Firemen Of The Sunset Strip 2009 Calendar Benefits Animal Rescue - Monday, December 22, 2008 for more) he said he and his fellows got a special thrill out of the experience.
“We were all relieved and glad,” he said. He reported no other injuries.
Saying that there was no pet signage on the door, the animals were not found in the primary search.
“It was still too smoky to see any animals on the primary search,” he said.
Photo by WeHo News - West Hollywood’s ONLY Newspaper, ONLY ONLINE! |
He said two searches are protocol; the first is a quick one to locate humans. “We go through as soon as we can to locate any bodies or people in need of rescue,” said the battalion commander.
The second search is far more complete. “We go through closets and look under piles of clothes or under furniture for smoldering embers or pets,” Capt. Brandelli said.
The fire ruined one unit and severely damaged five others. Capt. Brandelli estimated the damages at $50,000 to the structure and $10,000 in personal possessions.
The personal possessions estimate seemed high, he said, because of a collection of fine handbags owned by one young woman.
“She said the collection was valued at $10,000, and I believe her,” he said.
“All you could see was a melted mess, but you could tell from the remains that they were fine bags – Louis Vitton, Prada, etc.,” he said.
Photo by WeHo News - West Hollywood’s ONLY Newspaper, ONLY ONLINE! |
Her reaction to the devastation was telling, as well. “When I took her in to examine things and she saw that, she threw up.”
He had no explanation for how a laptop could start a carpet fire.
“You’d think it would shut down if it overheats,” he said, adding that things can happen fast if a malfunction should happen while electronics are left operating on flammable surfaces.
“When she returned from the walk with the dog there were already flames all around the carpet area and the furniture next to it,” he said.
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